High-Stakes Bypolls in Manglaur and Badrinath: BJP and Congress Brace for Battle

In the upcoming Uttarakhand assembly bypolls, Manglaur will witness a three-cornered contest, while Badrinath will see a direct fight between the BJP and Congress. The Manglaur seat has historically eluded the BJP, frequently switching hands between Congress and BSP. The results will be declared on July 13.

In the high-stakes battle for the Manglaur and Badrinath constituencies, the Uttarakhand assembly bypolls scheduled for Wednesday will be critical. Historically, the Manglaur seat, dominated by Muslim and Dalit voters, has been unattainable for the BJP, given its propensity to switch hands between Congress and BSP. The Manglaur bypoll became necessary due to the death of sitting BSP MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari last year. Badrinath, on the other hand, will witness a direct face-off between BJP's Rajendra Bhandari and Congress newcomer Lakhpat Singh Butola.

BSP's Ansari had narrowly clinched the Manglaur seat in 2022 by defeating Congress's Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin by a mere 598 votes, relegating the BJP to a distant third. The fight for Manglaur has traditionally been a close call, with Congress and BSP alternating victories and the BJP trailing. This time, the BSP has fielded Ansari's son Ubedur Rehman against Congress's Nizamuddin, while BJP's Kartar Singh Bhadana also contests.

Campaigning has been intense, with senior political figures from both Congress and BJP rallying support for their candidates. Notable figures like Congress leaders Sachin Pilot and Kumari Selja campaigned for Nizamuddin, whereas Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary backed Bhadana. In Badrinath, BJP's Bhandari faces Congress's Butola directly. The results of these closely-watched bypolls will be announced on July 13, and traditionally, the party in power has had an edge in Uttarakhand's bypolls.

(With inputs from agencies.)