GAJENDRA SINGH NEGI/ Dehradun
The decision of Congress stalwart and former chief minister Harish Rawat to take a break of 15 days from politics has created a furore in the opposition Congress party in Uttarakhand. Rawat terms the decision to take an earned leave as his right as he has not taken any such break in his 60 year long career in politics. However, his decision taken in the backdrop of recent inclusion of six leaders including three former MLAs in the party has made it clear that the astute politician is not happy with the current state of affairs in Uttarakhand Congress in which he is continuously being side-lined.
In a recent meeting held in New Delhi to discuss the inclusion of these leaders in the party, Rawat is learnt to have pushed for the entry of his protégé Sanjay Negi of Ramnagar into the party’s fold. His request however was not accepted by the party high command which insisted on having a consensus on the entry of Negi. Rawat reportedly left the meeting in a huff by stating that it appears that he is not needed in the party now. He later announced his 15 day break from politics.
Pertinently, Negi is a young leader who commands a very good following in Ramnagar. In the Vidhan Sabha election of 2022, Harish Rawat was initially given a ticket by Congress from Ramnagar constituency. His candidature was vehemently opposed by former MLA Ranjit Rawat who also demanded ticket from the same constituency. Following the tussle between the two Rawats, the Congress high command cancelled the ticket of Harish Rawat from Ramnagar and asked him to contest from Lalkuan. Ranjit Rawat was given the party’s ticket from Salt and from Ramnagar the party fielded Mahendra Singh Pal. Sanjay Negi contested from Ramnagar as an independent candidate to finish third securing more than 17,000 votes. Interestingly, the Congress lost from all three seats: Ramnagar, Salt and Lalkuan.
Though Harish Rawat is insisting that he is not sulking as being circulated in social media but his camp followers are openly airing concern on his being side-lined within the Congress party. Former speaker of Vidhan Sabha Govind Singh Kunjwal has said that the party high command should intervene in the issue. “It is hard to imagine the Congress party in Uttarakhand without Harish Rawat,’’ he said.
The political pundits are terming Rawat’s decision to take a break from politics as a pressure tactic employed by the seasoned politician to set things right for himself in the Uttarakhand Congress ahead of the crucial Vidhan Sabha elections of 2027.
