Sources have stated that the Assembly constituencies of Kotdwar and Yamkeshwar in Uttarakhand share a boundary with each other. They also present a paradox between the state's hill and Tarai belts. While Kotdwar is the gateway to the Pauri Garhwal region and demarcates Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh, the hills of Yamkeshwar are the first thing one encounter upon entering the constituency.
So the absence of Pauri Garhwal's most sensitive issue of migration from the hills in this election is hardly surprising. Pauri is known for witnessing large scale migration of people from the state's hilly areas. Also, Yamkeshwar remains in the news for registering man-animal conflict.
So, unlike in the past, there is almost no sign of the "pahadi vs desi" conflict in Kotdwar this year. The town is close to the Uttar Pradesh border, and people from UP villages like Nazibabad and Nagina have migrated here, to look for livelihood. The contest between Shailendra Rawat and Ritu Khanduri will be interesting. In order to field Ritu from Yamkeshwar, BJP had denied a ticket to its sitting MLA Vijay Barthwal, who had been representing the seat regularly, since 2002.
