Uttarkashi: On Wednesday evening, the Returning Officer (RO) for the Barkot Municipality chairperson election, Brijesh Tiwari, disqualified the nomination of independent candidate Dr. Kapil Dev Rawat. Dr. Kapil Dev, who was a strong contender for the BJP ticket, filed his nomination as an independent candidate after being denied the ticket. Since his nomination, the BJP had been attempting to reconcile with him. However, the cancellation of his nomination on Wednesday evening is likely to alter the electoral dynamics in Barkot.
RO and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Brijesh Tiwari informed the media that a resident of Barkot, Vinod Rawat, had filed an objection alleging that Dr. Kapil Dev’s mother, Jamotri Devi, had encroached on government land. The candidate presented arguments in his defense, but they were dismissed. Upon investigation, the RO found the allegations to be true and declared Dr. Kapil Dev ineligible. The investigation took two days, with the administration initially promising a resolution by 12 PM on Wednesday. However, by noon, a crowd of Kapil Dev’s supporters began gathering at the tehsil premises. The administration then called for additional police forces from Purola and Mori police stations to maintain law order.
During this time, BJP officials continued to engage with Kapil Dev Rawat. According to sources, representatives of a political party pressured him on Tuesday to withdraw his nomination. Dr. Kapil Dev has termed the disqualification a political conspiracy, claiming a plot has been hatched against him. This development has intensified political tensions in Barkot.
In Barahat Municipality, the nominations of three women candidates for ward member positions across 11 seats were also rejected. These include Kiran and Rani Devi from Ward No. 7, and Swati from Ward No. 9. Returning Officer (RO) D.K. Tiwari stated that Kiran’s caste certificate was invalid, Rani Devi had three children (exceeding the legal limit), and Swati failed to attach the required documents with her nomination form.
Additionally, one ward member’s nomination was disqualified in the Purola Municipality. Assistant Returning Officer Suresh Chauhan informed that Dharmendra, a candidate for Ward No. 7, was disqualified because his proposer’s name was not on the voter list. Consequently, Dharmendra’s nomination was invalidated.
