New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 59 candidates for the Uttarakhand Assembly polls.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik will contest from Khatima and Haridwar Assembly constituency respectively.

Union Minister and BJP state election in-charge Pralhad and national general secretary Arun Singh released the first list.

Ten sitting MLAs have been replaced with new faces.

Joshi said that among the 59 candidates 31 are graduates, 18 are postgraduates, four are spiritual leaders and more than 10 per cent are women.

The six women candidate are Rekhan Arya (Someshwar), Chandra Pant (Pithoragarh), Sarita Arya (nainital), Renu Bisht (Yamkeshwar) Kunwarrani Devyani (Khanapur) and Savita Kapoor (Dehradun Cantt).

The BJP has fielded Saurabh Bahuguna, son of former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, from Sitarganj. Senior leader Satpal Maharaj has fielded from Chaubattakhal and Dhan Singh Rawat from Srinagar. Bansidhar Bhagat has fielded from Kaladhungi, Swami Yatishwaranand from Haridwar Rural, Pradeep Batra from Roorkee, Ganesh Joshi from Mussoories and Bishan Singh Chufal from Didihat.

Joshi said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the BJP government in the state has taken Uttarakhand to a new height of development.

Singh said that Uttarkhand has witnessed an overall development under a double engine government and the BJP will win the election with a thumping majority.

The names of BJP candidates for the remaining 11 seats of the Uttarakhand Assembly seats will be announced soon.

Voting for 70-member Uttarakhand aAssembly will be held on February 14 and counting of votes will take place on March 10.