RAWAT SEEKS TO BE RELIEVED OF PUNJAB DUTIES

DEHRADUN: Congress general secretary Harish Rawat said on Friday that he wanted to be relieved of the responsibility of handling Punjab, where a bitter fight between the chief minister and the state unit chief continues to roil the party.

Rawat, a former chief minister of Uttarakhand, said he wanted to focus on his home state that goes to the polls simultaneously with Punjab early next year. He is the chief of the party’s election campaign committee in Uttarakhand.

“I have discussed the issue with the party national leadership to find a solution to it as I would be majorly focussing on Uttarakhand elections. That solution may include replacing me from the responsibility of Punjab state in-charge if the leadership thinks so,” he told reporters in Dehradun on Friday.

The Congress is aiming to displace the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttarakhand in assembly polls next year.

Rawat said that striking a balance between his roles in Punjab and Uttarakhand wasn’t a problem in the digital era. “Sitting in Uttarakhand, I am able to speak to a block president in Punjab through phone which has made the life easier. Also, the distance between Uttarakhand to Punjab is only about 300km which is not to far,” he said.

He also met party chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. When reporters asked Rawat if he has sought to be relieved as the in-charge of Congress’ Punjab affairs so that he can concentrate on the upcoming polls in his state, the former Uttarakhand CM replied in the affirmative.

Rawat earlier dropped hints about his wish to be relieved of the Punjab responsibilities during an interview to HT on August 19.