Friday, 25 June 2021 | PNS | Haldwani
The issue of whether chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat can contest the Assembly by-election or not has continued to elicit statements from senior leaders of both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. On Thursday, former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and the Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh reached Haldwani to pay homage to Indira Hridayesh on her Tehrvi. The leaders paid tributes to Hridayesh and appreciated her contributions but later focused on the issue of the CM’s by-election.
Former chief minister and Doiwala MLA Trivendra Singh Rawat recalled his experience of working with a senior leader like Hridayesh, stating that even during differences in the Vidhan Sabha she used to exhibit a positive attitude. Referring to senior Congress leader and former CM Harish Rawat’s statement about CM Tirath Singh Rawat having lost the opportunity to contest the Assembly by-poll, Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the election commission has to decide about holding the by-election and not Harish Rawat.
Meanwhile, the PCC president and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh said that considering the uncertainty on whether the CM will contest the by-election to the Assembly or not, the government has only three options. The government can go for mid-term polls, demand President’s rule or bring in a third chief minister. Otherwise, whatever decision the election commission takes, the Congress is ready for any challenge. The election commission has to take a decision now but the Congress is prepared for any election, he said. On being asked if Sumit Hridayesh will carry forward the electoral legacy of his mother in Haldwani constituency, Singh said that considering the work he had done in the constituency, there is no other option to Sumit Hridayesh. However, when the time for election comes, the party office bearers and high command will decide whom to field. Regarding possible changes in the Congress organisation and the new leader of opposition, Singh said that the party high command will soon form an opinion on this with the party office bearers and leaders of the state.
