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News Topical, Digital Desk : The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been in power in Uttarakhand for nine consecutive years, is now preparing to score a hat-trick by winning the next assembly elections. This time, the party's strategy isn't limited to defending its strongholds, but a special focus is also being placed on those assembly seats where the party hasn't won in the last 20 to 25 years. Considering these seats as "impregnable fortresses," a detailed strategy has been developed at the organizational level to conquer them.
BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt says the party is trying to create a three-way contest in these seats. He believes that if the contest is between three major parties instead of two, the BJP's chances of victory increase. Based on this, work has begun on organizational and political strategies.
Special survey and planning for 23 seats lost by BJP in the last election
The organization has identified 23 seats with narrow margins of victory or defeat in the last election. Five-level surveys will be conducted in these seats. One survey has already been completed, while two more are scheduled for March-April. This will be followed by a comprehensive state-level survey. Once a panel of potential candidates is submitted to the central leadership, a separate survey will be conducted on those names. The goal of this entire process is to field strong and winnable candidates based on grassroots feedback.
BJP has not been able to win these seats for the last several years
Chakrata is a seat where Congress's Pritam Singh has been the MLA in all five elections held from 2002 to 2022. The BJP lost by a mere 1,543 votes in 2017 but never managed to surpass the winning mark. In Piran Kaliyar (Haridwar), the BJP has also failed to open its account since delimitation. Congress's Furqan Ahmed has consistently won here in 2012, 2017, and 2022.
The BJP has been waiting for a win in Mangalore for the past 25 years. The seat went to the BSP in 2002, 2007, and 2012, Congress won in 2017, and went back to the BSP in 2022. Congress made a comeback in the 2024 by-election.
BJP has been struggling in Haldwani for the last 20 years.
In Yamunotri (Uttarkashi), the BJP won only in 2017. In the remaining elections, the UKD, the Congress, and an independent candidate won in 2022. Dharchula is a seat in Kumaon where the BJP has never won a primary election. Congress's Harish Dhami served as the MLA continuously in 2012, 2017, and 2022.
In Bhagwanpur (Haridwar), the BJP hasn't won since 2002. The BSP won in 2007 and 2012, while the Congress won in 2017 and 2022. In Haldwani, too, the party has been struggling for 20 years. BJP's Banshidhar Bhagat won in 2007, but Congress made a comeback in 2012, 2017, and 2022. Currently, the Congress MLA is Sumit Hridayesh.
Only by creating a triangular situation on these seats will the results come in their favour
According to state president Mahendra Bhatt, the party's focus is on addressing local social equations, strengthening the organization at the booth level, and dividing the opposition vote. The BJP believes that if these seats are not directly contested but triangular, the results could be in its favor.
It's clear that the BJP no longer wants to rely solely on its traditionally strongholds, but is also preparing to make decisive battles in seats that have long been slipping away. In the coming months, surveys, candidate selection, and local strategy will determine whether the BJP can break through these "impregnable fortresses."
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