BJP's Ajay Tamta Nominated For The Third Time From Almora Lok Sabha Seat (image-X/AjayTamtaBJP)
The Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta, hailing from Uttarakhand’s Almora, the reserved constituency for Scheduled Castes, has been nominated as the BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha constituency of Almora for the third time.
Almora Lok Sabha constituency comprises of four districts – Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, and Pithoragarh. Since 2009, the constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. Over 24 percent of its voter base belong to the SC community, as per the 2011 census.
Tamta copper, found abundantly in Uttarakhand to craft hand-beaten copperware and musical instruments, is named after the coppersmith community belonging to the SC category.
One of the main issues facing the constituency is its unending water crisis. In 2021, the district faced water shortage, forcing over 90,000 people to use contaminated water as its main source, the Kosi river became muddy due to rainfall. Since the past five days, around 110 villages of Salt Block in Almora have been deprived of drinking water because water from the main tank was not lifted due to an interruption in power supply, as per an Amar Ujala report.
Tamta contested in the Lok Sabha elections from Almora as an independent candidate in 2009. After facing defeat, Tamta secured victory in the assembly elections of 2012 under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Subsequently, the BJP fielded him for the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019 from Almora. Tamta secured a substantial victory with 53 percent votes in 2014 and 64 percent in 2019 beating Congress candidate Pradeep Tamta, who won 38 percent and 30 percent in the respective years.
His successful stint in the Lok Sabha elections led to his appointment as the Union Minister of State for Textiles, solidifying his electoral profile.
Despite speculations of potential replacements due to a declining popularity and a low profile, Tamta’s clean image and administrative experience gained him another nomination in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Notably, he was also the member of the consultative committee of the Ministry of Water Resources and River Development and Ganga rejuvenation.
BJP has once again chosen the sitting parliamentarian from the Lok Sabha seat of Almora to repeat his victory in the constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
