High-Stakes Battle in Kedarnath: BJP vs Congress Showdown

Polling for the Kedarnath assembly by-election in Uttarakhand commenced on Wednesday. The seat fell vacant after the passing of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat. Six candidates are running, with a significant BJP-Congress contest. Monitoring is enhanced through CCTV, highlighting high stakes for both major parties.

Polling kicked off on Wednesday at 7 a.m. for the Kedarnath assembly seat byelection in Uttarakhand. The seat in Rudraprayag district became vacant following the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July.

Six candidates are vying for the position, with BJP's Asha Nautiyal and Congress's Manoj Rawat expected to face off in a closely-watched contest. A total of 173 polling stations have been established, with surveillance enhanced at 130 of them using CCTV.

The District and Chief Election Officer's Office, alongside the Election Commission, will monitor the polling continuously through webcasting. Stakes are notably high as BJP seeks to maintain control, while Congress aims to seize the seat following their previous triumph in Badrinath.

(With inputs from agencies.)