PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
In a major political development, six senior leaders including three former MLAs joined the Congress party in a programme organised at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in the national capital on Saturday. The in-charge of the Uttarakhand Congress Kumari Selja officially inducted former BJP MLA from Rudrapur Rajkumar Thukral, former Sitarganj MLA Narayan Pal, former BJP MLA from Ghansali Bhimlal Arya, former Roorkee mayor Gaurav Goel who was also expelled from the BJP, former chairperson of Mussoorie municipal council Anuj Gupta and Lakhan Singh Negi from Bhimtal in the party.
Welcoming these leaders into party’s fold, Selja said the many more senior leaders are ready to join the Congress in Uttarakhand. She linked the recent expansion of Pushkar Singh Dhami cabinet with growing dissention in the ruling BJP. She said that the people of the State have made up their mind to throw the BJP out of power in Uttarakhand. Selja said that the Congress party is effectively raising the issues of public concern both inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha. She said that the party will soon undertake many programmes in Uttarakhand in near future.
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal said that all the six leaders who have joined the party command very good following and their inclusion will strengthen the party in Uttarakhand. He claimed that soon the party will induct many more senior leaders in the State.
The leader of opposition (LoP) in Vidhan Sabha Yashpal Arya said that the induction of these leaders into Congress party is an initiation of a major change which is on the anvil in the State. He said that the corruption and unemployment are at their peak in Uttarakhand and the law and order situation is pathetic. The chairman of the election campaign committee of Uttarakhand Congress Pritam Singh said that the party will get further strengthened by entry of new leaders. The head of election management committee of Uttarakhand Congress Harak Singh Rawat said that the atmosphere in the State is conducive for the Congress party and it is poised to return to power. Former PCC president Karan Mahara said that the joining of these leaders is sign of things to come in future.
Harish Rawat’s absence in joining programme raises eyebrows
DEHRADUN: Former chief minister Harish Rawat was conspicuous by his absence from the important programme in the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday in which six senior leaders including three former MLAs joined the Congress party. It is learnt that the former CM was unhappy at non-inclusion of former Block Pramukh Sanjay Negi in the list of leaders who joined the party on the day. Negi had contested the Vidhan Sabha election of 2022 from Ramnagar as an independent candidate and had secured more than 16,000 votes. The party sources informed that inclusion of Negi in party would have affected the prospects of former MLA Ranjit Singh Rawat, the onetime aide turned foe of Harish Rawat. Meanwhile Harish Rawat has announced to take break of 15 days from the politics.
