Rawat’s statement leaves cadre shocked, delights BJP leaders

DEHRADUN: Chief minister Harish Rawat’s statement asking the Congress workers to get ready for both defeat and victory in the election has sent his party into a tizzy. The BJP took a jibe on Rawat, saying he has “correctly foreseen” the Congress’ impending defeat. Rawat left Congress workers stunned when he asked them to get ready for the defeat and victory while addressing at a party meeting on Saturday. “Be prepared for both defeat and victory,” Rawat told a meeting of the Congress women wing here in the party office on Saturday.

In his speech, the chief minister also clarified that the ruling Congress had only a shoe string budget to fight the poll. Incidentally, Rawat had claimed that the Congress would return to power with full majority, on February 16. He had dropped ample hints that, in case of a hung assembly, the Congress might also stitch up a post poll alliance with Independents or the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal.

Coming just 10 days before the poll results, the statement left Congress workers “shocked” andthe BJP rather amused.

“It is good that the chief minister has admitted his party’s electoral defeat even before the poll results are to be announced,” BJP state president Ajay Bhatt said, adding that the statement must have been based on surveys or the reports of the local intelligence unit. The Congress appeared at pains to explain the chief minister’s statement.

“It (statement) was his way to ask the party workers to stay grounded and not get swept off their feet like that party (BJP) which has been making tall claims about its chances to return to power,” Congress chief spokesperson Mathura Dutt Joshi said. He asserted that the ruling party would return to power with full majority. A sitting Congress legislator, who is contesting election, expressed surprise over the chief minister’s statement asking party workers to be prepared for its defeat. “Such a statement coming from a senior party leader has a demoralising effect on workers.

BJP, CM SPAR OVER DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS

Rawat has accused the BJP of playing “petty politics” over his government’s decision to pay cricketer Virat Kohli a fee of ₹47 lakh for publicising Chardham religious circuit from the disaster relief fund. “They (BJP leaders) should have thanked us for getting him on board to publicise the fabled Chardham. They are, instead, playing petty politics,” Congress spokesperson Mathura Dutt Joshi quoted Eawat as saying. The BJP had raised serious objection to the Harish Rawat government’s move to pay Kohli ₹47 lakh as fee from the disaster relief funds.