Attacking the BJP candidate from Haridwar lok Sabha seat and ex-CM Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that people of Haridwar want to know about the Rs 672 crore which was allocated by the Union Government to organise Kumbha Mela-2010, and hope that he will give details of the Kumbha Mela expenditure. Replying to the allegation, Nishank said that in 2010, Rawat was MP from Haridwar lok Sabha seat, so he will have to answer this during general election-2014.
Since inception of Harish Rawat as chief minister of Uttarakhand on February 1, Haridwar constituency has become of bone of contention between BJP and Congress because the seat was won by the incumbent CM Harish Rawat in 2009. Then he had defeated BJP candidate Swami Yatishwaranand with a margin of 1,27,539. This time the Congress high command is yet to declare the candidate for five lok Sabha seats of the state due to in house fighting. Ex-CM Vijay Bahuguna has already blown bugle against CM Harish Rawat and said that if his son (Saket Bahuguna) is being denied ticket from Tehri lok Sabha constituency by following a principle that no family member of the senior leader will be given ticket, then how can Congress allocate ticket to CM Rawat’s family member including his wife Renuka Rawat or his daughter Anupama Rawat or his Anand RawatIJ With this episode, the Congress high command which was about to make official announcement by March 31, delayed for next few days. Seeing infighting within Congress, the party high command has appointed Congress leader Rajiv Shukla as Uttarakhand Congress in charge.
Failing to make official announcement of a candidate from Haridwar lok Sabha seat and finding BJP candidate election campaign is in full swing, CM Rawat attacked Dr Nishank and demanded details about Kumbha mela expenditure. Attacking on Dr Nishank, CM said that Rs 672 crore, which was allocated to the state government by Congress-led UPA Government, expenditure’s detail yet to be given by then CM and incumbent BJP candidate from Haridwar seat Dr Nishank. Even if he would have spent the money for the building of infrastructure then people want to know the name of projects, which were made by using Kumbha fund. Even people would like to know on what circumstance then Dr Nishank Government had given NoC in citurgia scam.
By saying this CM Rawat has made ex-CM Dr Nishank tizzy. In his counter attack Dr Nishank said that during Kumbha Harish Rawat was Union minister of State in UPA Government and local MP so he should answer the question.Since delimitation-2008, Harish Rawat shifted to Haridwar from Almora constituency because the seat was announced as reserve seat for SC.
Since then he has been grooming the constituency and after becoming CM of the state, if he loses the seat (known as his home constituency) then his opposition within party will get active after general election.