Brahamchari’s ‘clean image’ favourable for Congress

Haridwar, January 7
With the Congress facing defeat in the Haridwar (city) segment, by opting for saint-turned-politician Satpal Brahamchari this time, the party seems to be having better chance of winning.

Satpal Brahamchari boasts of having an honest image, of being the leader of the masses masses and above all, of not being attached with any party faction which had been quite harmful for the previous candidates in 2002 & 07.

Calm and composed at his Khadkhadi ashram- cum-residence, Brahamchari, in a chat with journlists, owed it to his fellow party leaders and activists who found him eligible to contest from city’s main seat.

His journey to getting party legislator ticket is just a decade old, which is quite surprising but also shows his hard work towards the party in during this period.

He first joined politics as a BJP activist but later shifted to the Congress in 2000. Considered close to Haridwar parliamentarian Harish Rawat, he was elected as Municipal Chairman in 2003. He holds a state record in terms of winning margin in whole of the state, by garnering 46,000 votes, defeating his nearest rival by 19,000 votes.

According to local population, Brahamchari’s tenure is regarded the best with no corruption allegation and development spree, helping Haridwar hold Ardh Kumbh succesfully.

“With its development my focus, we should first look into the needs of public,” said Brahamchari, a graduate in Sanskrit.

With him in the election fray, it will not be easy this time for state BJP Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik to make a hat trick of the election wins from Haridwar segment.

Poonam Bhagat, state chief of the Kissan Congress, pointed out that in the past decade, the Congress has lost from Haridwar, owing to the inner party factionalism rather than strong opposition candidature, but this time surely hand will have an upper hand.