Uttarakhand election results: Congress scrapes by to a 1-seat victory

 Dehradun, Tue Mar 06 2012, 08:53 hrs

The Congress won the closely-fought Assembly elections in Uttarakhand with a 1-seat lead over the BJP. It acquired 32 seats as opposed to the BJP's 31.

A Congress delegation called on Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva late this evening to formally stake the claim to form a new government. State Congress spokesman Surendra Kumar said the delegation was led by the party's election incharge Chaudhary Birendra Singh. PCC Chief Yashpal Arya and Lok sabha MP Vijay Bahuguna were also in the delegation, he said. A Rajbhavan spokeswoman said, "We can only say that the Congress delegation called on the Governor this evening."

The biggest setback for the BJP was the defeat of chief minister B C Khanduri who was defeated by S S Negi of Congress from Kotdwar seat by 4632 votes.

The BJP bagged seats in Sitarganj, Nanakmatta and other places while Congress won from Haldwani and Almora constituencies. BJP opened its account from Sitarganj seat in Kumaon region when its candidate Kiran Chand Mandal bagged it. The BSP won three seats and three independents emerged successful, thus positioning themselves as possible kingmakers. Uttarakhand Kranti Dal-Panwar (UKD-P) won one seat. Congress leader Indira Haridayesh wrested the Haldwani seat from the BJP by defeating its candidate Renu Adhikari. State BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal won from Didihaat constituency. PCC chief Yashpal Arya won from Baajpur seat and leader of the opposition Harak Singh Rawat led in Rudraprayag seat.