Cong leadership has started consulting senior leaders for new plan of action under the changed political circumstances in Uttarakhand
The change of face affected by the ruling BJP in the government and the party organization has forced the opposition Congress party to revisit its election strategy in the Himalayan state. It is learnt that the central leadership of the party has started consulting senior leaders of the state for formulating a new plan of action under the changed circumstances. One section of the party in Uttarakhand is said to be in favour of making a major change in organisational setup in the state unit to take on the challenge posed by the BJP head-on while others are advocating a wait and watch policy for the time being. The appointment of former cabinet minister and astute politician Madan Kaushik on the post president of Uttarakhand unit of BJP has also made the Congress anxious and alert.
Bowing to the pressure of the dissidents, the high command of the BJP had removed Trivendra Singh Rawat and appointed Garhwal MP Tirath Singh Rawat on the post of CM in Uttarakhand. Similarly Banshidhar Bhagat was replaced by Madan Kaushik on the position of president of the state unit of BJP. The political analysts are of the opinion that by changing the CM, the BJP has tried to get rid of the anti incumbency factor that has set in the state while by appointing Kaushik as head of the party organisation the party has made an attempt to please the voters of plain areas and farmers. Similarly Kaushik is considered to be more active and dynamic than Bhagat to lead the party at a time when the elections are less than a year away. In the changed circumstances it is learnt that the Congress party could make changes in its organisation and could pay heed to the advice of former chief minister Harish Rawat on declaring chief ministerial candidate of Congress for the upcoming assembly election of 2022. Rawat has been strongly advocating for a CM face of Congress so that the Modi factor in assembly elections is minimised. This advice of his was being ignored by the central leadership which favoured collective leadership strategy and was opposed by a faction of state unit headed by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Pritam Singh and Indira Hridayesh.
When contacted, the deputy leader of the Congress legislature party Karan Mahra told The Pioneer that the party leadership would definitely ponder over the political situation of the state. The secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Manglaur MLA, Qazi Nizamuddin said that the Congress is an ideology based party and the removal of Trivendra Singh Rawat by the BJP from post of CM is a moral victory for the party.
Sunday, 14 March 2021 | Gajendra Singh Negi | Dehradun
