In the precincts of Pauri, situated in Uttarakhand, Anil Baluni, the candidate endorsed by the BJP for the Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency, formally submitted his candidacy at the administrative office on Tuesday. Accompanying him were esteemed figures such as Union Minister Smriti Irani, Mahendra Bhatt, the president of the Uttarakhand BJP state chapter, and Dhan Singh Rawat, a minister in the Uttarakhand cabinet.
Preceding his submission of the nomination papers, Baluni led a procession commencing from the Ramleel Maidan in Pauri Garhwal, culminating at the administrative office. Present alongside him were Tirath Singh Rawat, the incumbent MP from Pauri, and Manish Khanduri, a prominent figure within the party ranks.
Baluni’s electoral adversary is Ganesh Godiyal of the Congress party, who is slated to formalize his candidacy on the morrow. Hailing from the village of Nakol in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district, Baluni’s political journey commenced within the confines of the aforementioned district. His inaugural foray into electoral politics was during the inaugural Uttarakhand Assembly elections in 2002, subsequent to the state’s separation from Uttar Pradesh. However, his initial nomination was contested and subsequently annulled, leading to legal recourse pursued through the High Court and eventually the Supreme Court.
Although the Congress candidate Surendra Singh Negi emerged victorious from the Kotdwar constituency in 2002, the Supreme Court deemed Baluni’s candidacy valid, resulting in the annulment of the election. Consequently, a by-election was convened in 2005, resulting in Baluni’s defeat. Following this electoral setback, Baluni abstained from further electoral contests and relocated to Delhi.
Establishing proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Baluni was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP in 2018, representing Uttarakhand, culminating in his tenure’s conclusion in 2024. Subsequently, the BJP nominated Mahendra Bhatt, the incumbent state president, to the Rajya Sabha, whilst fielding Baluni for the Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency.
Prior to his candidacy, Baluni was appointed as the national spokesperson for the BJP, entrusted with the mantle of overseeing the party’s media affairs at the national level.