Harak’s expulsion changes poll arithmetic for BJP, Cong ‘Ready to apologise to Harish Rawat for interest of state’
Cong state president says a decision on Harak Singh joining Cong will be taken by party top leadership
DEHRADUN: With less than a month left for the state assembly election, Harak Singh Rawat’s expulsion from the BJP has changed arithmetic of ticket distribution in both the ruling BJP and opposition Congress.
Rawat, who is a heavyweight leader in state politics and sitting MLA from Kotdwar constituency, was expelled from BJP’s primary membership on Sunday night over reports of him meeting Congress leaders in Delhi after he was denied a ticket for his daughter-in-law Anukriti Rawat.
After his expulsion from the BJP and uncertainties over him joining the Congress, both the parties are now compelled to make changes in their candidates for the February 14 election.
On Tuesday, Rawat hinted towards his willingness to join the Congress but the party was yet to make a decision on it.
However, if party insiders are to be believed, the senior leadership including national president Sonia Gandhi is yet to take a decision on it but possibilities of him joining the party has already forced a delay in the announcement of candidates.
“He has already spoken to them to express willingness to join party along with his daughter-in-law Anukriti. The decision on it is yet to be taken because some of the leaders are against him joining the party after once detecting it in 2016,” said a leader privy to the development on condition of anonymity.
He said the party has decided to take final decision on the list of candidates depending on how the “Harak’s episode ends.”
“As of now the party is yet to make a consensus on at least 10-15 seats of the total 70. The party was to take the final decision on it in last two days but that has been delayed due to the Harak Singh episode. It is because, if he joins the party then the party might have to readjust the names of the probables from the seat where he would be given ticket. Also, in BJP he had demanded ticket for his daughter in law. If that is repeated in Congress also, then the party leadership’s headache will increase further on the candidates list,” said the leader.
Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal said, “The decision will be purely taken by the party senior leadership.”
“If the leadership decides to welcome him, then the party will definitely be benefitted from it as he is a very senior leader in state politics. But it will also depend on the party’s state leadership on what role he would play for the party if he is allowed to join,” said Godiyal.
On the decision on announcing the list of candidates, he said, “A consensus was not achieved on at least 12-15 seats on which the screening committee has made a panel of three candidates on each one of them and sent to the central election committee to take final decision. Hopefully, the list will be announced in the next couple of days.”
The BJP is also changing its candidate list after expulsion of
Harak Singh.
One of their leaders on the condition of anonymity said, “Earlier the party didn’t have a consensus on about 15 seats but now after the expulsion of Harak Singh, the number might increase and ticket of 10 to 15 MLAs might be axed.”
“It is because, the party will now monitor his movewhether he joins the Congress or not. If he joins, then we will have to see from which seat he would contest as we would have to field a candidate according to that in the same seat.
“Considering the fact that he is a heavyweight in state politics, the party will definitely wait and watch the end result of his episode,” said the leader.
BJP state president Madan Kaushik, speaking to the media persons, refused to speak on the possible changes in the list of candidates after Harak’s expulsion but said, “The central parliamentary board of the party is soon going to take final decision on the list of candidates.”
“Harak Singh’s expulsion hasn’t made any difference in the party’s plans. A final decision on the list of candidates will soon be taken by the central parliamentary board of the party after which the list will be announced in next few days,” said Kaushik.
DEHRADUN: After Congress leader Harish Rawat said those, who destabilised his government in 2016, should apologise first before rejoining the party, ousted BJP leader Harak Singh Rawat on Tuesday said he was ready to apologise 100 or even one lakh times to his elder brother (Harish Rawat).
He said he will apologise keeping in mind the interests of Uttarakhand and its people, for whom he wants to work continuously.
Harak Singh, who is in Delhi along with his daughter-in-law, while speaking to the media persons on his willingness to join the Congress and Harish’s statements, said, “He (Harish Rawat) is my elder brother. I can apologise 100 times or even one lakh times for Uttarakhand, its youth, its development...”.
Harak Singh was responding to Harish Rawat’s statements about him. Harish Rawat had told media in Delhi when asked whether he will welcome Harak Singh Rawat or not into Congress, “Individual person is not important….the decision will be taken by the party collectively…”.
On seeking apology from Harak Singh , Harish Rawat said, “I stand by what have I said. Not just him, all those who were involved (in 2016 rebellion ) should seek apology from people of Uttarakhand and democracy…”
Harak Singh, who was expelled by the BJP from the party for six years on Sunday, has been sending feelers of his willingness to join Congress, whose leaders have been maintaining that the final decision will be taken by the party high command.
There is section of leaders in Congress, especially who are close to Harish Rawat, who are not happy with Harak Singh Rawat’s coming back into the party fold, given his key-role in destabilising the Congress government in 2016 when he led rebellion of nine Congress MLAs and switched to BJP. But political experts maintain that Congress high command will like to us Harak Singh Rawat in hitting the BJP, especially on seats where Harak Singh Rawat has a sway.
Pradeep Tamta, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member, told the local media that what he (Harak Singh) did was a sin in democratic tradition and as such he should apologise for what he did before asking for joining the Congress.
“What happened in 2016 had weakened the democratic tradition in the whole country. It was a murder of democracy. It became a precursor to such a trend on other states also where our government was toppled. The main question is when Congress is coming to power, what is the need to take ‘dhaagdaar’ stained people. Many workers, MLAs have told me the same thing. We will request the party high command that they should not take a decision in this matter in a hurry,” said Tamta.
Political analyst MM Semwal said Harak Singh, given his track record, had created a difficult position for himself. “If the Congress takes him back, it will send a wrong signal in the party. But the Congress high command must be looking at a broader picture and wants to use him for hitting the BJP, at least on some seats, where he holds strong influence.”