Dehradun, December 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has commenced the finalization of its candidate panels for the upcoming municipal elections in Uttarakhand. Under the leadership of state party president Mahendra Bhatt, deliberations are underway to finalize nominees for various municipal bodies across the state. Alongside this, the party has established election management committees for all municipal regions to streamline its campaign efforts.
State media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan provided details of a meeting held with observer teams. He informed that discussions were conducted with observers, district presidents, district in-charges, and MLAs, focusing on the candidate selection for eight organizational districts of Kumaon and the Chamoli and Rudraprayag regions. The meeting evaluated the names shortlisted during previous consultations, assessing candidates on parameters such as social representation, activeness, and public popularity. As a result, panels featuring the top three candidates for mayor, municipal council chairperson, and town panchayat chairperson posts have been finalized.
Bhatt stated that a similar process would be conducted tomorrow for the Garhwal division, where observer teams will assist in finalizing the panels for the remaining districts.
During a media interaction, Bhatt emphasized the party’s commitment to a democratic selection process. "Over the next two days, we are finalizing candidate panels for municipal chairpersons across the state. These panels will then be reviewed by the state election committee, which includes the Chief Minister, state in-charge, co-incharge, MPs, and former Chief Ministers," Bhatt explained. The finalized list of mayoral candidates will subsequently be submitted to the BJP's central election committee for approval.
The BJP president assured that the party would announce its candidates for all municipal bodies soon, adding that election campaigns will commence immediately after the announcement.
Elaborating on the party’s election strategy, Bhatt revealed that election management committees have been formed for all municipal regions. These committees will be expanded to include two additional members from the list of declared candidates in the coming days. “We have been preparing for these elections over the past two months. With candidate names being finalized, the campaign phase will begin in earnest,” Bhatt added.
The BJP’s structured approach aims to strengthen its footing in the upcoming municipal elections, signaling an organized and focused campaign effort across the state.