Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), which is the biggest regional outfit in the state, might announce the names of the candidates for all five Lok Sabha seats by March 11.
The panel of names has been sent to the party parliamentary board. The party has never won a parliamentary election since the formation of the state in 2000. Its strength in assembly has also gone down from four to just one in the last election.
With declining support, the party is now trying to put up a brave face to contest the elections. This regional outfit has not entered into alliance with any party till now, but it is in talks with CPI and CPI (M) for an alliance.
The UKD was formed in 1979 to fight for the issues related to the hills, forest, land and water. It took up the issue of separate statehood based on the fact that the hill regions of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh had a distinct identity of their own.
The party played a pivotal role in the statehood movement of Uttarakhand and earned dividends when it sent four MLAs to the assembly in 2002. A year ago, the Aeri and Panwar factions of the UKD clashed with each other, pushing the regional outfit to greater depths. UKD chief Kashi Singh Aeri said the party would hold a meeting on March 10 and March 11 in Nainital, where the announcement of the candidates’ names would be made.
{{/usCountry}}The party played a pivotal role in the statehood movement of Uttarakhand and earned dividends when it sent four MLAs to the assembly in 2002. A year ago, the Aeri and Panwar factions of the UKD clashed with each other, pushing the regional outfit to greater depths. UKD chief Kashi Singh Aeri said the party would hold a meeting on March 10 and March 11 in Nainital, where the announcement of the candidates’ names would be made.
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