Pauri (Uttarakhand): BJP candidate from Garhwal Lok Sabha seat, Anil Baluni, filed his nomination at the collectorate office of Pauri on Tuesday. Union Minister Smriti Irani, Uttarakhand BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt, Uttarakhand cabinet minister Dhan Singh Rawat were present along with Baluni.
Prior to filing nomination, Baluni held a road show from Ramleel Maidan Pauri Garhwal to the collectorate office. He was accompanied by current MP from Pauri, Tirath Singh Rawat and party leader Manish Khanduri.
Baluni is contesting against Congress candidate Ganesh Godiyal, who is expected to file his nomination tomorrow. Baluni is a resident of Nakol village of Uttarakhand's Pauri district. His political journey started from Pauri district. He had contested from Kotdwar seat of the district when Assembly elections were held for the first time in 2002 in Uttarakhand, after separating from Uttar Pradesh. His nomination was then cancelled after which, Baluni had challenged it in High Court and then in Supreme Court.
In 2002, Congress candidate Surendra Singh Negi had won from Kotdwar but the Supreme Court cancelled the elections after finding Baluni's nomination valid. Thereafter, bye-elections were held in 2005 but Baluni was defeated. He did not contest any election after that and moved to Delhi.
He is considered to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2018, BJP sent him to Rajya Sabha from Uttarakhand and his tenure ended in 2024. This time, BJP has sent its state president Mahendra Bhatt to Rajya Sabha and fielded Baluni from Garhwal Lok Sabha seat.
Earlier, BJP appointed Baluni as the national spokesperson of the party and handed him the responsibility of national media in-charge.
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