‘Hands tied’: Rawat takes dig at Congress top brass

DEHRADUN: Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat, who is believed to have played a part in Captain Amarinder Singh’s exit as Punjab chief minister, and also from the party itself, took to Twitter on Wednesday to air grievances seemingly targeted against the central leadership of the party.

The posts, coming months ahead of the elections in Uttarakhand, indicate that all isn’t well in the party, and that another state unit of the Congress is heading towards an internal crisis.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, Rawat alleged that he was not getting support from the party leadership and that representatives of the top brass had “tied his hands.”

“Isn’t it strange that the organisational structure at most places, instead of extending a helping hand, is standing with its head turned away or playing a negative role at a time when I have to swim across the ocean of elections...the powers that be have left crocodiles here. People on whose orders I have to swim, their nomiship. are tying my hands and feet,” he tweeted .

The BJP, which governs the state, has had its share of problems (it is currently on its third CM), but the comments from Rawat, the Congress’ seniormost leader in the state, have taken most people by surprise. In one of them, he even hinted at retirement.

“I am filled with thoughts. A voice from within sometimes tells me ‘It is enough Harish Rawat, you have swam long, it is time to rest’,” he said.

At a press conference later, he refused to clarify and said he would speak on the tweets at the right time. Party leaders, who asked not to be named, said he was referring to Congress incharge for the state, Devendra Yadav, and leader of Opposition in assembly, Pritam Singh. Yadav and Singh did not respond to calls for comment.

In July, Rawat was made campaign committee in-charge for the state but not declared the CM candidate. Singh, a rival of Rawat, is also a probable CM candidate.

Congress leaders considered close to Rawat said his tweets were an indication he was not happy with the state party leader“He is clearly telling high command that if he doesn’t get the required support, the party will lose,” a Congress leader said.

“Harish Rawat and his party has been claiming he will form the next government. But it seems his own party members don’t want him to lead the party in state. They know that it was because of him, that the Congress had to face such a drubbing in 2017 elections,” said BJP state media incharge Manveer Singh Chauhan.

Former chief minister and BJP leader Tirath Singh Rawat was quoted by ANI saying, “Harish Rawat is not going to take any rest. I think he is doing this to ensure his clout in the party... Considering the way he is expressing his pain, I feel he should take some rest,” he was quoted saying by ANI.

Dehradun-based political analyst M M Semwal said Rawat’s cryptic tweets have put the Congress on the back foot.

“...it is clear that he has sent a message that if things aren’t set right, the party’s electoral prospects will weaken. He wants to make it clear that without him the party may not win...”