Uttarakhand: Several people belonging to minority, tribal communities join BJP in Khatima

Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand) [India], April 11 : Several people belonging to minority and tribal communities left the Congress and joined the BJP at Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand on Thursday. They joined the BJP in the presence of the state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
"Influenced by the development work being done in the state under the able leadership of the respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodiji, today in Khatima, a large number of people from the minority and tribal communities left the Congress and joined the BJP," Dhami posted on X.
"Our double engine government is dedicated to the upliftment of every section, working on the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas, as a result of which today people from every section in the state are expressing their faith in the BJP," he added.
The people who joined the BJP said that they joined the party because they were impressed by the development work being done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier on Thursday, with the first phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 around the corner, CM Dhami addressed a public rally in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present at the rally.
The rally is targeted at three Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand's Garhwal region-Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, and Haridwar.
Addressing the rally in Rishikesh, CM Dhami said, "The country has awakened, moved forward and changed now. The new India is vigilant and sensitive towards its future. Those who implemented 'Emergency' in the country, those who have divided society into castes, and those who did many scams are rattled today because of PM Modi's mantra, 'na khaunga na khaane dunga'."
Addressing the same rally in Rishikesh, PM Modi highlighted the major decisions taken by his government, emphasising that it was under the NDA regime that Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Today, there is a strong government in the country. Under this 'mazboot Modi sarkar, atankwaadiyon ko ghar mein ghus ke mara jata hai'. The Indian tricolour has become a guarantee of security even in the war zone. After seven decades, Article 370 was scrapped from Jammu and Kashmir and a law was made against triple talaq. It was our strong government that ensured a 33 per cent reservation in Parliament and the poor of the general category also got a 10 per cent reservation," the PM said.
"Whenever we have had a weak government in the country our enemies have taken advantage," the PM Modi said.
Uttarakhand has five Lok Sabha seats and the state will go to the polls in a single phase on April 19.
The NDA has fielded Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Anil Baluni, Ajay Tamta, Ajay Bhatt and Trivendra Singh Rawat from Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, Almora (SC), Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar and Haridwar lok sabha constituencies respectively.
INDIA has nominated Jot Singh Guntsola (INC), Ganesh Godiyal (INC), Pradeep Tamta (INC), Prakash Joshi (INC) and Virendra Rawat (INC) as its candidates for Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, Almora (SC), Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar and Haridwar Lok Sabha constituencies.
While two Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand -- Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar and Almora -- are located in the Kumaon region, the remaining three seats of Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal and Garhwal (Pauri) are in the Garhwal region.
The BJP is looking to sweep yet again in all five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand, having won from all the parliamentary constituencies in the State in both the 2014 and 2019 general elections.