Congress cadres in Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar, which votes in the first phase, have taken the campaign to the doorstep of the voters.

Dozens of party workers and supporters have fanned across the constituency with the objective of meeting every voter at least once to convince them to vote for the Congress candidate, Prakash Joshi.

Radha Arya is leading one such team in the Haldwani area. “We tell the people about all the promises the BJP made, such as creating job opportunities to stop the migration of youths. But not a single job has been created here in the last 10 years,” Arya said. “We allow the people to discuss with us. There are many who resist and say that the government has done many things. We ask them if those things have changed their lives. And here the direction of the debate changes because nothing has happened to improve the quality of life of the people here.”

The teams working from village to village are in dozens, and comprise five to six persons each. Arya said they were “getting very good response”.

“This kind of campaigning can change the people’s perception towards us. Our party candidate, Prakash Joshi, is very strong but we believe that our effort will make it more comfortable for him,” she added.

Arvind Joshi, another Congress supporter, has been canvassing in the Bindukhatta area of the constituency. His team asks the voters if the Uniform Civil Code will provide jobs or ensure growth.

“We also ask them how the abrogation of Article 370 is related to Uttarakhand and its people. The people were initially not very keen to interact with us but they have gradually started giving us time. They respectfully offer us chairs. We not only enter their kitchens to talk to the women but also go to the agricultural fields,” Joshi said.

Uttarakhand votes today