The Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress have declared the names of their candidates for mayoral and other posts in the urban local body elections. While Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ will be the BJP’s mayoral candidate for Dehradun, former Cabinet Minister Dinesh Agarwal has been fielded by the Congress in the election to this post. Shortly after declaration of the names, dissent by party workers and supporters of contenders left out by the party leadership was witnessed in both the national parties.

Late on Saturday night, the BJP finalised the names of its mayoral candidates and those to be fielded for posts of municipal council and Nagar Panchayat heads. Apart from Gama, the BJP declared Annu Kakkad as its mayoral candidate in Haridwar, Neetu Rawat in Kotdwar, Jogender Rautela in Haldwani, Usha Chaudhary in Kashipur, Rampal Singh in Rudrapur and Anita Mamgai in Rishikesh.

Later on Sunday, the party also released the list of its candidates for the post of councillors in the local bodies.

Meanwhile, on the directions of Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh, the PCC vice president Suryakant Dhasmana released the list of the party candidates for the local body polls on Sunday. Apart from Agarwal for the mayoral post in Dehradun, the party has fielded Lakshmi Sajwan in Rishikesh, Anita Sharma in Haridwar, Hemlata Negi in Kotdwar, Sumit Hridayesh in Haldwani and Mukta Singh in Kashipur.

Shortly after the candidates were announced, some party workers and supporters of ticket hopefuls opposed the selection in both the BJP and Congress.

The BJP State president Ajay Bhatt was confronted at Dehradun airport by a group of party workers unhappy with the selection.

In a video-clip of the argument which soon spread on the social media, the workers are seen questioning the selection of the mayoral candidate for Rishikesh.

Telling them to calm down, Bhatt is heard telling them that the CM is topmost in the selection process. He, then, calls MP Ramesh Pokhriyal while directing the person making the video clip to stop doing so. In the Congress too, there was objection to selection of candidates at the Congress Bhawan itself with some of the workers voicing their opposition openly.

Later in the day, PCC spokesman Sanjay Bhatt resigned from the post citing unfair treatment of Garhwalis and anomalies in the candidate selection process specifically questioning the selection of Dinesh Agarwal.