Campaigning for U'khand civic body polls ends

Campaigning for the Uttarakhand civic body polls came to an end on Friday, with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and senior state BJP leaders holding a roadshow here.

Led by Rawat, former speaker Harbans Kapoor and the party's mayoral candidate from Dehradun, Sunil Uniyal Gama, the roadshow began from the BJP's Mahanagar office here and went to Darshani gate via Paltan bazar and Ghanta ghar.

"We are sure of a record victory. The Congress is nowhere," Rawat told reporters at the roadshow. State BJP president Ajay Bhatt claimed the party was set to make history in the polls.

The last day of campaigning saw the candidates of all political parties going from door-to-door to connect with their voters.

Voting is scheduled to be held for 84 civic bodies, including seven municipal corporations, 39 municipal councils and 38 nagar panchayats in a single phase on Sunday.

The polls are a high-stakes battle for the BJP, as it faces the challenge of matching its own performance in the Assembly elections last year, in which it had won 57 out of 70 seats.

It is also significant for the Congress as the verdict might serve as a pointer to what lies in store for the Opposition party in 2019.