After PM’s rally, winds of ‘change’ blow in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: Even a day after PM Narendra Modi’s well-attended rally in Srinagar, it was the talking point in the city as majority of the people said the poll winds were blowing towards the saffron party in Garhwal region after the momentous rally.

The Srinagar assembly constituency has over one lakh voters living in the main Srinagar city and another 70,000 in rural areas.

On Monday, the last day of the poll campaign saw roadshows by all three main candidates here – BJP’s Dan Singh Rawat, Congress’s Ganesh Godhiyal, the sitting MLA, and independent Mohan Kala. The bustling streets were full of party workers in processions where Garhwali poll songs were played with traditional musical instruments in the streets throughout the day. At 5 pm, the high-octane campaign came to an end as per the directions of the state election commission.

According to local residents, PM Modi’s rally has changed the political scenario in the area. They said that the announcement of Rs 12,000 crore Char Dham project and implementation of schemes like OROP would boost BJP’s prospects in the hill state. Dalip Rawat, who runs a departmental store on the Pauri Road, said, “In the Congress regime, there was no focus on Uttarakhand’s development. Schemes like OROP and the Char Dham project would help the state.”

Many living in the rural areas of Srinagar said anti-incumbency was at work in the elections. Suresh Uniyal, a local resident, said, “People know that the development had taken a backseat in the Congress regime and there was all-round corruption in Uttarakhand. In his rally, PM Modi said he was committed to take special care of Uttarakhand.”

Another resident Vive Khanduri said, “There is a tangible anti-incumbency in Uttarakhand. You will find that the voting percentage would increase this time and people would vote for a change.”
There were others, however, who claimed that there was a close contest in Srinagar. Prashant Dimri, a local resident, said, “The scenario in the city alone is not the true reflection of the poll situation in Srinagar because over 70,000 voters live in villages where the sitting MLA has support.”
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