BJP accuses Cong of step-motherly treatment to U'khand

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) While releasing first list of 59 candidates for the Uttarakhand Assembly polls on Thursday, the BJP accused the Congress of step-motherly treatment of the state during ten years of UPA regime.

Union Minister and BJP state election in-charge Pralhad Joshi and national general secretary Arun Singh released the first list at party headquarters in the national capital.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik will contest from Khatima and Haridwar Assembly constituency respectively.

Joshi said the party will fight election on the basis of the "historic" development works done by the double engine government and slogan of 'Kiya hai, karti hai aur karti rahegi' (has done, is doing, will continue to do).

In the first list, the BJP has replaced ten sitting MLAs, including former state chief minister B.C. Khanduri's daughter Ritu Khanduri, with new faces.

In the first list, the party has fielded four spiritual gurus, 15 from Brahmin community, three from Bania community and ten per cent women.

The party has fielded Ram Sharan Nautiyal, father of famous Bollywood singer Zubin Nautiyal, from Chakrata while Umesh Sharma Kau, a confidant of expelled leader Harak Singh Rawat, from Raipur.

Besides, Ganesh Joshi has been fielded form Mussoorie, Dhan Singh Rawat from Srinagar, Kedar Singh Rawat from Yamunotri, Subodh Uniyal from Narendra Nagar, Munna Singh Chauhan from Vikas Nagar, Satpal Maharaj from Chaubattakhal, Saurabh Bahuguna from Sitarganj, Sarita Arya from Nainital, Rekha Arya from Someshwar, Mahesh Jeena from Salt and Renu Bisht from Yamkeshwar.

BJP national media in charge and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni, highlighting the achievements of the double engine government, expressd hope that the people of Devbhoomi will bless them and vote them to power again.

Meanwhile attacking Congress, Joshi said the grand old party gave the state a step-motherly treatment during ten years of UPA regime.

Joshi claimed that after the formation of the Modi government at the Centre in 2014 and the BJP government in Uttarakhand in 2017, state's development got impetus.

The BJP national general secretary also accused the grand old party of the same charges and claimed that the saffron party will form the government with overwhelming majority.

The names of BJP candidates for the remaining 11 seats of the Uttarakhand Assembly will be announced soon.

Voting for 70-member state Assembly will be held on February 14 and counting of votes will take place on March 10.