Uttarakhand Assembly elections: Survey a shot in BC Khanduri's arm

AGSTYAMUNI (Kedar Valley): Tuesday morning Uttarakhand woke up to a pre-poll survey giving BJP an edge and another term. If excitement was missing from the campaign, here was the one BJP was waiting for and Congress could have done without.

In just over an hour, the survey became part of CM BC Khanduri’s discourse. Across meetings in Gairsen, Karn Prayag and Ghansali, Khanduri was exhorting people to give the party more than 40 seats. Till the other day, BJP was talking of giving Congress a fight.

Kandhuri hid his exuberance but there was confidence in his voice. He said the survey would draw out party cadre to work hard in the days ahead.

Khanduri did not talk of the survey till asked about a flaw in it, especially the fact that BSP and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, which have eight and three seats in the assembly, were relegated in the others category with just two seats. “I don’t know,” the CM said with a shrug.

In Gopeshwar, excitement on the survey began within minutes of Khanduri’s public rally. The market was abuzz with news of BJP sweeping the state. Raju Bhandari, Congress candidate from a constituency in Gopeshwar, dismissed the survey as a BJP ploy.

“Instead of relying on such manufactured surveys, BJP should do a door-to-door survey seeking votes. People are fed with their government,” he said.

Talking to people at Khanduri’s public meeting in Karnprayag showed that the survey hadn’t cut much ice with voters. “Should we just change our mind just because a survey says so,” said a 65-year-old Phani Ram, a proud ex-grenadier. Three senior BJP workers who travelled with reporters from Gopeshwar to Gairsen conceded that the survey had come as a surprise and there were questions.

“Politically it could turn us complacent,” said one of them. While another got into constituency-wise analysis and found that the only way BJP could sweep the stakes was by doing extremely well in Kumaon. Rebel candidates, a constant headache for Congress and BJP, are going to spring many surprises.