Congress survey predicts it will win 33 of 70 seats in Uttarakhand

Dehradun: A pre-poll internal survey conducted by the ruling Congress in Uttarakhand has predicted that the party will win 33 out of 70 seats in the state which goes to polls early next year.

"The findings of the survey is highly encouraging for the party, which will now throw all its might to win all the 70 seats in the House," Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay said on Thursday.

Apart from projecting the party's victory in 33 seats, the survey also puts it in a formidable position in another 10 seats, he claimed.

Interpreting it as an indication that the Congress may win 43 seats, Upadhyay said if it happens it will be the biggest electoral victory for a party in the history of the state.

Though he did not clarify the party's position on its continuing alliance with the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), sources claimed if it does then members of the Front may contest on Congress symbol.

Upadhyay also hinted that he would like to contest polls from his home turf, the Tehri Assembly constituency. He was elected MLA from Tehri in 2002 and 2007 but in 2012 he lost by a small margin to PDF's Dinesh Dhanai.

On talk that Chief Minister Harish Rawat is in favour of fielding Dhanai from Tehri, he said, "It is my home constituency from where I have contested elections all my life. How can I give it up?"

State Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana said the party which was smarting from the setback caused after as many as 10 MLAs deserted it in March has been enthused by the findings of the pre-poll internal survey.