Uttarakhand: Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah files nominations from Tehri constituency

Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah filed her nominations on Friday as the BJP's candidate from Tehri Lok Sabha constituency in Uttarakhand.

A two-time MP from the seat, Shah filed her nominations before the returning officer here in the presence of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, family members, party MLAs and Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama.

The chief minister, MLAs and party leaders, accompanying her to the collectorate in a jeep, were wearing headbands with "Main Bhi Chowkidar" inscribed on them. Bearing party flags and shouting pro-Modi slogans, the BJP workers with a large number of women among them followed Shah in the form of a procession through the streets as she went in the jeep to file her nominations.

Party MLAs who accompanied her to the nomination room included Harbans Kapoor, Ganesh Joshi, Umesh Sharma Kau and Vinod Chamoli. Her husband Manujendra Shah, daughter Shrija and son-in-law Kirti Shah were also with her.

Shah, who is the daughter-in-law of the erstwhile Tehri royal family, first won the seat in a bypoll in 2012 defeating Congress' Saket Bahuguna, son of former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna. She won it again in 2014 against the same opponent. The party has renominated her from the seat for the third consecutive time.

The filing of nominations will go on till March 25 in Uttarakhand which goes to polls on April 11. BJP candidate from Garhwal (Pauri) Tirath Singh Rawat will also file nominations Friday.  Rest of the candidates, including Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (Haridwar), Ajay Bhatt (Nainital) and Ajay Tamt a (Almora) will file their nominations on March 25.

-PTI