In a surprise move, the Uttarakhand Congress has selected Surat Singh Negi, lawyer of Amarmani Tripathi, as its candidate for the post of Dehradun Mayor. The decision has led to a near revolt in the party. Civic elections in the state will be held on April 19.

To protest against the choice of candidate, outgoing Congress Mayor Manorama Sharma Dobriyal, who is also chairperson of the Asian Council of Mayors, is camping in New Delhi to get an audience with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

In fact, internal bickering in the Congress has led to the elimination of senior candidates who enjoyed mass support. The first casualty of this bickering was outgoing Mayor Dobriyal. Suryakant Dhasman, former state unit chief of the NCP who recently joined the Congress, was another formidable candidate who stood second in the 1997 elections. He was ignored on the ground that he was a recent entrant to the party. Former transport minister Hira Singh was also overlooked.

The BJP has nominated Vinod Chamoli, a former chief of the Dehradun Municipal Council. Chamoli won the seat in 1997 before Dehradun was elevated as Municipal Corporation. The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) has given its ticket to Vivekanand Khanduri, a former Congress leader who crossed over during the 2007 Assembly polls.