congress: Uttarakhand assembly polls: Yashpal Arya’s exit may hit BJP in Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital

The exit of transport minister Yashpal Arya and his MLA son Sanjeev Arya from the BJP to the Congress is a setback for BJP given its timing. With simply months left for the meeting polls, BJP has little time to discover a substitute for Arya, a stalwart Scheduled Caste chief. Arya was anticipated to assist the BJP in its SC outreach, notably in Kumaon’s Terai belt.

Arya’s exit has additionally dented the psychological benefit the BJP had over the Congress after its current induction of a Congress MLA and two Independents into the celebration. Arya himself was the same ‘catch’ for the BJP earlier than the final meeting polls. His exit might adversely affect the BJP in components of Udham Singh Nagar district, which has 9 meeting seats, and is witnessing farmers’ agitation. Khatima, one of many seats from the district, is chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s seat.

A piece of BJP leaders imagine that Arya returned to the Congress as his Bazpur seat is the centre of the farmers’ agitation within the district and he would have misplaced as a BJP candidate. Nonetheless, Arya’s resignation could make it tough for BJP to rein in different former Congress leaders who joined the BJP in 2017. Arya enjoys recognition in neighbouring Nainital district too. His son Sanjeev Arya represents Nainital within the meeting. “It might be a tough process for the BJP to pick out a possible candidate to area in opposition to Sanjeev in Nainital. Sanjeev is standard within the constituency,” a BJP employee stated.

In line with BJP insiders, the celebration tried to steer Arya from defecting, given his stature as a SC chief. Dhami lately visited Arya’s residence for a breakfast assembly to steer him to remain again in BJP. The Congress was additionally eager to convey again Arya into the celebration fold ever since he stop. On Monday, there was celebration on the Congress state headquarters in Dehradun after his return.