Mahara assumes charge as PCC president, leaders express differences in function
Monday, 18 April 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The newly appointed Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara formally assumed charge at a function in the Congress state office here on Sunday. While senior party leaders including State in-charge Devendra Yadav, designated leader of opposition Yashpal Arya and deputy leader Bhuwan Chandra Kapri, former chief minister Harish Rawat and former PCC president Gandesh Godiyal were present on the occasion along with about half a dozen party MLAs, a number of MLAs were absent. Further, the views expressed by some of the senior leaders on the occasion further brought out the differences within the party.
Speaking on the occasion, Mahara exhorted all the work together for strengthening the party and ensuring the welfare of the people and the State. Stressing that the issues of the public will be raised from the locality level to the Assembly, he also said that any party leader crossing the line of discipline may face action. While paying homage at the statehood martyrs memorial on the same day, Mahara said that 22 years after creation of Uttarakhand the vision of the martyrs and statehood activists has not been fulfilled. He said that efforts will have to be made to ensure that the natural resources in the state benefit the people of the state. Earlier while responding to media queries regarding the absence of various MLAs from the function, he said that the MLAs had to be in their constituencies due to various reasons.
Though the party members made some attempt to project unity, the function was marked by some of the leaders expressing differences and raising questions. Former chief minister Harish Rawat said that leaders and prominent workers of the party should meet and discuss various issues so that the differences being expressed can be resolved. He also said that though the Congress is known for taking along all sections together, there is a perception that this time the Garhwal region was ignored in appointments to the top positions of the party in the state. He said that though the step cannot be changed, it can surely be rectified. Rawat expressed confidence that Mahara will fulfill the challenging task of taking along all the party workers and leaders together.
Former PCC president Ganesh Godiyal expressed hope that Mahara will get the opportunity to serve a full term as the PCC president. Eliciting the focus of the party’s state in-charge, he said that though he was ready to resign on the day the Assembly election results were announced, he was disappointed in the manner in which it was projected through the media that his resignation had been sought. “The talk of the Congress leadership wanting to create a new leadership here appeared as if we have been considered condemned at this age,” he said.
