<p>Feeling the heat of farmers' protests, BJP has embarked on a mission to expand its influence by embracing rivals in Uttarakhand.</p>.<p>Independent MLA from Bhimtal Ram Singh Kaira, who had defeated BJP's Govind Singh Bisht in the 2017 assembly elections, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Smriti Irani.</p>.<p>Kaira is the third sitting legislator to join the BJP in recent times, as the party navigates the treacherous terrain of anti-incumbency in the hill-state.</p>.<p>Last month, Rajkumar, the Congress MLA from Purola, and Pritam Singh Panwar, the Independent MLA from Dhanolti, had joined the BJP.</p>.<p>The agitation against the farm laws finds resonance in the plains as farmers from the region have taken part in the 10-month-long protests at the borders of the national capital.</p>.<p>Senior BJP leader and Sports Minister Arvind Pandey felt the heat as farmers' prevented him from attending a function to lay the foundation stone of a stadium in his Gadarpur constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district.</p>.<p>Farmers pitched tents near the venue to protest against the Lakhimpur Kheri killings as they got wind of Pandey's programme in his assembly constituency on Thursday.</p>.<p>The minister's son said Pandey participated in the function through video conferencing as he had to be present for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state on Thursday.</p>.<p>Uttarakhand is set to witness a triangular contest in the assembly elections next year as the Aam Aadmi Party has put its hat in the ring and eyeing support of voters in the Terai region or the plains of the state.</p>.<p>Congress, under the leadership of former chief minister Harish Rawat, has launched a campaign to return to power in Uttarakhand, which is yet to re-elect an incumbent government.</p>.<p>BJP has announced that it will contest the elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who assumed office in July. His predecessors – Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat – had to be shunted out as they had become unpopular.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>Feeling the heat of farmers' protests, BJP has embarked on a mission to expand its influence by embracing rivals in Uttarakhand.</p>.<p>Independent MLA from Bhimtal Ram Singh Kaira, who had defeated BJP's Govind Singh Bisht in the 2017 assembly elections, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Smriti Irani.</p>.<p>Kaira is the third sitting legislator to join the BJP in recent times, as the party navigates the treacherous terrain of anti-incumbency in the hill-state.</p>.<p>Last month, Rajkumar, the Congress MLA from Purola, and Pritam Singh Panwar, the Independent MLA from Dhanolti, had joined the BJP.</p>.<p>The agitation against the farm laws finds resonance in the plains as farmers from the region have taken part in the 10-month-long protests at the borders of the national capital.</p>.<p>Senior BJP leader and Sports Minister Arvind Pandey felt the heat as farmers' prevented him from attending a function to lay the foundation stone of a stadium in his Gadarpur constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district.</p>.<p>Farmers pitched tents near the venue to protest against the Lakhimpur Kheri killings as they got wind of Pandey's programme in his assembly constituency on Thursday.</p>.<p>The minister's son said Pandey participated in the function through video conferencing as he had to be present for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state on Thursday.</p>.<p>Uttarakhand is set to witness a triangular contest in the assembly elections next year as the Aam Aadmi Party has put its hat in the ring and eyeing support of voters in the Terai region or the plains of the state.</p>.<p>Congress, under the leadership of former chief minister Harish Rawat, has launched a campaign to return to power in Uttarakhand, which is yet to re-elect an incumbent government.</p>.<p>BJP has announced that it will contest the elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who assumed office in July. His predecessors – Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat – had to be shunted out as they had become unpopular.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
