Tuesday, 15 June 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
In her absence the party would rely more on Harish Rawat to get it back in power in state
The sudden death of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Uttarakhand assembly Indira Hridayesh on Sunday in Delhi would affect the Congress party which is gearing itself for a shot at power in the state in the assembly elections slated early next year. Her death would also result in a major realignment in the internal politics of the grand old party in the state. The absence of Hridayesh who yielded considerable power due to her decades old experience and rapport with party workers would considerably weaken the camp of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Pritam Singh to which she belonged.
It was Hridayesh, often referred to as Iron lady of Uttarakhand who was the real strength of the Pritam- Indira camp which was opposed to the former chief minister and general secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Harish Rawat in the politics of the state. The political observers here are of the view that the powerful camp led by Rawat in the state Congress would become more powerful now. It was Hridayesh who used to take a stoic stand against Rawat camp in the state Congress and was always at the target of Rawat supporters.
The clout of Hridayesh can be understood from the fact that she was summoned by the central leadership in Delhi along with Harish Rawat and Pritam Singh to strategize for the upcoming elections. The party leadership wanted the faction-ridden Congress in Uttarakhand to pose a united challenge to the BJP. In the changed circumstances created by the death of Hridayesh the party would rely more on the charisma and organisational abilities of Harish Rawat who is probably the only mass leader left in state Congress now. Though Rawat lost from both the seats he contested in the assembly elections of 2017, he is the tallest leader in the party and undoubtedly the most active leader in the state. Rawat is learnt to have requested the central leadership of the party to relieve him from the responsibility of Punjab where he is the state in -charge so that he could focus more in Uttarakhand.
After the death of Hridayesh the Congress party could appoint senior leader and former speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal or deputy leader in state assembly Karan Mahra as LoP in state assembly. Incidentally both these leaders are close confidants of Rawat. It is worth mentioning here that Rawat is consistently demanding that the party should project someone as chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming elections and this demand of his was constantly blocked by Pritam Singh and Hridayesh.
In the changed circumstances the Congress party may still not concede to the demand of Harish Rawat on CM candidate and go ahead with its plan of collective leadership but could be forced to draw Rawat at the center- stage of its campaign in Uttarakhand. The party could also appoint Rawat as head of the election campaign committee.
