BJP’s Gangotri win strengthens belief of ‘auspicious’ seat

DEHRADUN: The notion of a win in the ‘auspicious’ Gangotri assembly constituency being key to forming the government in Uttarakhand has again proved correct in 2017 polls.

In the past three elections, the party winning the Gangotri constituency - in the region where river Ganga has its source - has gone on to form the government in the state. In the results declared on Saturday, BJP candidate Gopal Singh Rawat defeated Congress nominee Vijay Pal Singh Sajwan by a margin of 9,610 votes. While Rawat received 25,698 votes, Sajwan could manage only 16,073 votes. In the state assembly, the BJP has clinched 57 of the 70 seats.

This has lent more credence to the theory that the party winning in Gangotri goes on to form the government in the state.

In 2002, Congress candidate Sajwan won the seat (his party formed the government); in 2007, Gopal Rawat of the BJP clinched Gangotri and, subsequently, the saffron party came to power.

In 2012, the seat was again won by Sajwan and the Congress came to power that year.

Both the BJP and the Congress did not take any chances this time either and fielded their tried and tested warhorses from this seat. The local residents also said that “the ashirwad (blessings) of Ma Ganga” ensure that the party winning the seat stands victorious in the state.

Rajnikant Semwal, priest at the

Gangotri dham temple

, told TOI, “ The blessing of

Ma Ganga

is required to form the government in the state. This is a fact admitted by all in Uttarakhand.”

Political expert

Jay Singh Rawat

said that both the Congress and the BJP have given importance to this seat because of this belief. “Both parties fielded heavyweights on the Gangotri seat and this time BJP got the blessings,” he added.

Rawat, the winning candidate from the seat, could not be contacted.