Protest that erupted on Sunday after the ruling Congress unveiled its first list of candidates for Uttarakhand assembly poll took an ugly turn on Monday with supporters of a ticket hopeful vandalising the party’s state headquarters.
One of the supporters of Aryendra Sharma, who was Congress candidate from Sahaspur assembly constituency in the 2012 state poll, tried to immolate self but police whisked him off to a police station. Sharma, however, lost to BJP’s Sahdev Singh Pundir by more than 5,000 votes.
They were protesting against nomination of Congress state unit president Kishore Upadhyay from the seat.
Agitated supporters of Sharma burnt Upadhyay’s effigy besides damaging furniture at the party office. One protester identified as Shamim from Sahaspur village poured diesel to immolate self.
{{/usCountry}}Agitated supporters of Sharma burnt Upadhyay’s effigy besides damaging furniture at the party office. One protester identified as Shamim from Sahaspur village poured diesel to immolate self.
{{/usCountry}}“We want the Congress to change its candidate from Sahaspur and field Sharma from the seat. We will ensure his victory. Upadhtyay cannot win it,” said Sanjay Kuamr, the Sahaspur block unit president of Congress.
Meanwhile, a section of Congress workers from Tehri district began a dharna demanding that Upadhyay must contest from his home constituency -- Tehri.
Led by Tehri district Congress president Suraj Rana, the Congress workers said Upadhyay, who won from Tehri assembly constituency in 2002 and 2007, should contest again from the seat as there was a “wave in his favour”.
“We want Upadhyay to contest again from Tehri and he will win the seat hands down. There is a wave in his favour,” said Pankaj Raturi, the Congress state unit secretary.
The hill state will hold election to the 70-member state assembly on February 15.