Uttarakhand: Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Tirath Singh Rawat file nominations

DEHRADUN: BJP candidates Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah and Tirath Singh Rawat filed their nominations Friday from Tehri and Pauri Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttarakhand, which goes to polls in the first phase on April 11.

Shah, a two-time MP from the seat, filed her nominations before returning officer S A Murugesan here in the presence of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, family members, party MLAs and Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama.

The chief minister, MLAs and party leaders accompanying her to the collectorate in a jeep were wearing headbands with 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' written on them.

Bearing party flags and shouting slogans in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP workers followed her in the form of a procession through the streets as she started from BJP's city office to file her nominations at the collectorate.

The party MLAs, who accompanied her to the nomination centre included Harbans Kapoor, Ganesh Joshi, Umesh Sharma Kau and Vinod Chamoli.

Her husband Manujendra Shah, daughter Shrija and son-in-law Kirti Shah were also with her.

Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, who is the daughter-in-law of the erstwhile Tehri royal family, first won the seat in a bypoll in 2012 defeating Congress's Saket Bahuguna, son of former Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna.

She won it again in 2014 against the same opponent.

The party has renominated her from the seat for the third consecutive time.

Tirath Singh Rawat, a former MLA and minister who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls for the first time, also filed his nominations from Pauri later in the day.

After offering prayers at Pauri's Lakshmi Narayan temple, he left with the chief minister, party MLAs and leaders for the office of returning officer Dhiraj Garbyal to file nominations.

Tirath Singh Rawat, who was pradesh BJP president before Ajay Bhatt took over, has been fielded by the BJP from Pauri in place of sitting MP B C Khanduri.

Rawat, who is considered a protege of Khanduri, is likely to battle it out with Khanduri's son Manish Khanduri, who recently joined the Congress at party president Rahul Gandhi's rally here.

Though it has not yet been announced, Manish Khanduri's candidature from the seat is considered almost final.

"These elections are being fought on the issues of development and nationalism and people will give their support to the BJP to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said in Pauri.

The BJP, which has all the five Lok Sabha seats from Uttarakhand in its kitty at present, renominated its sitting MPs from three while deciding to gamble on new candidates from two Thursday evening.

The three renominated candidates are Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah from Tehri, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank from Haridwar and Ajay Tamta from Almora, whereas the two new candidates are Tirath Singh Rawat from Pauri and pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt from Nainital.

Bhatt has been fielded in place of Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.

Rest of the candidates, including Nishank, Bhatt and Tamta will file their nominations on the last date of nominations on March 25, pradesh BJP media chief Devendra Bhasin said.