"Our's is no longer an election campaign but a people's movement": BJP's Garhwal pick Anil Baluni

Pauri Garhwal (Uttarakhand): Anil Baluni, the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand, said on Saturday his election campaign has grown into a movement with every single voter engaged in fulfilling the party's resolve of ' Ab Ki Baar, 400 Paar ' (beyond 400 seats this time).

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of his campaign for the general elections on Saturday, Baluni said, "There is palpable enthusiasm among the people, who want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return to office for a third term. Both our objectives of winning more than 400 seats and making a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India) will be fulfilled. Uttarakhand, too, will take rapid strides towards development. We will go well past 400 seats and form the government at the Centre again with a handsome majority."

"PM Modi has already said that the coming decade will be that of Uttarakhand. Our's is no longer an election campaign but has grown into a people's movement. Every single voter is actively involved in helping us reach our goal of winning more than 400 seats," the BJP's Pauri Garhwal nominee added.

Baluni is pitted against Congress's Ganesh Godiyal in the battle for Pauri Garhwal this time.

Srinagar, which is considered the educational and cultural capital of the state, also falls within the ambit of the Pauri Garhwal constituency, from where these two leaders are bidding for a term in the Lower House of Parliament.

Baluni filed his nomination papers for the general elections from Pauri Garhwal on March 26, while his Congress rival, Godiyal, entered the fray on Wednesday.

Pauri Garhwal is one of the five constituencies of the state that will poll for the Lok Sabha.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Tirath Singh Rawat emerged victorious from Garhwal by a margin of 3,02,669 votes, while his Congress rival Manish Khanduri trailed at 2,04,311 votes.

As in the 2019 elections, all seats in Uttarakhand will poll for the Lok Sabha in the first phase on April 19.

The ruling BJP-led NDA won all five seats in the hill state in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

The upcoming general elections will be held across the country in seven phases--from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4.