Congress, BJP announce candidates for Kedarnath assembly bypoll

The BJP and the Congress on Sunday (October 27) announced the names of their candidates for the November 20 Kedarnath assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand. The Congress has named former MLA Manoj Rawat as its candidate while the ruling BJP has fielded Pradesh Mahila Morcha president Asha Nautiyal.

Nautiyal was elected from the seat in 2002 and 2007 on a BJP ticket. A former journalist, Manoj Rawat won from Kedarnath in 2017. He lost to the BJP's Shaila Rani Rawat in the 2022 polls.

The fell Kedarnath seat was vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani



Rawat. The Kedarnath bypoll is crucial for both Congress and the BJP.

The last date for filing nomination papers for the bypoll is October 29. The papers will be scrutinised on October 30 and the last date for the withdrawal of nominations is November 4.

According to officials, there are 90,540 eligible voters, including 45,775 women, in the constituency and 173 polling stations will be set up.

After winning all five seats in Uttarakhand in the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP lost Badrinath and Manglaur assembly bypolls to the Congress.