They prefer to talk on issues of national and international matters to the burning local issues of not less greater public interest. More so, they would rather like to be described as national or global leaders. But disappointingly, the same leaders hesitate to talk on some equally important national issues like natural calamity that people of Uttarakhand's hilly region have been facing on a routine basis for long.

Perhaps realising the anger of the beleaguered citizens because of mishandling of situation post natural calamity in Uttrakhand last year, the Congress party removed its Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna handing over the reins of the State Government to incumbent Harish Rawat.

But during the ongoing elections times, the political parties have not appeared to be so sensitive toward issues like natural calamity.

The matter of concern is that people in disaster affected areas continue to struggle hard, but the political leaders have rather engaged in mud slugging. They are not disclosing their vision about disaster management and are rather avoiding their public meetings in disaster affected areas, alleged Kalyan Bisht, a social activist here.

For example, Congress vice -president Rahul Gandhi who was reported to be quite upset with the previous Vijay Bahuguna led state Government for mishandling the situation in the disaster hit areas, skipped his visits to disaster hit areas in the Kumaon division on Tuesday.

The fact is that Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts were the badly affected by natural disaster last monsoon. But Congress vice-president chose to address public rally in Almora on Tuesday in support of his party candidate Pradeep Tamta from the Almora- Pithoragarh parliamentary constituency. Second rally he addressed in Kashipur that falls in Udhamsingh Nagar for party candidate K C Singh Baba from the Nainital- Udham Singh Nagar lok Sabha seat today.

This is perhaps second visit of the Congress vice president in the past two years in the Kumaon division. Earlier he addressed a public rally in Kaladhungi assembly constituency for party candidate Prakash Joshi in 2012 state assembly elections.

So if the election schedule of national leaders of the different political parties are any indication they are not going to visit the disaster hit areas to seek popular support. BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi also held a public meeting in Vikasnagar in Uttarakhand in support of the party candidate on Tuesday.

As the BJP MlA from Kaladhungi and party's convener for the Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar lok Sabha seat Banshidhar Bhagat informed Modi will also address a public rally in Udham Singh Nagar's Rudrapur for party candidate Bhagat Singh Koshiyari from  the aforesaid seat on May 3.

Besides, senior BJP leader Tarun Vijay is also going to campaign for the party candidate Koshiyari in Haldwani on May 2, as the BJP leaders here informed.

So, Bisht further said, it seems that the ongoing election schedule has only hit the ongoing relief and rehabilitation works. Though Chief Minister Harish Rawat laid down foundation stones in mass scale to ensure speedy execution of relief works in natural calamity hit areas, due to diversion of administrative machinery in election works much has not been done in

disaster affected areas.