Since the announcement of Pradeep Tamta’s name as the Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha, Cabinet Minister Yashpal Arya is reportedly upset with the decision. Even when Pradeep Tamta visited his house he refused to meet him. In order to handle the situation, Chief Minister Harish Rawat sent Home Minister Pritam Singh to visit Arya at his residence where the duo had long deliberations which resulted in Singh bringing Arya to Dehradun.
Since then it is being presumed that the road to the Rajya Sabha would not be easy for the proposed candidate Tamta. Political analysts say that if BJP fields their candidate then they may win the seat and this victory would be a major achievement. Although BJP has not opened its cards yet, the one thing clear is that Tamta would not be elected unopposed candidate for Rajya Sabha because Progressive Democratic Front (PDF)-which is an alliance of six MlAs other than BJP and Congress MlAs-has placed Dinesh Dhanai as its candidate for Rajya Sabha.
It is being anticipated that Yashpal Arya was about to join nine turncoat MlAs who shifted sides from the Congress to join BJP but he was assured by state Congress in charge Ambika Soni that he would be sent Rajya Sabha during its election so he did not join dissidents on March 18. Currently it is being stated that Harish Rawat is mainly anointing Kumaon leaders. Since inception of Congress led Uttarakhand Government in March 2012, he had forced then chief minister to make Govind Singh Kujwal as speaker of Vidhan Sabha and Rajya Sabha seat for his loyal Mahendra Singh Mahra.
later he canvassed for Sarita Arya and made her State Mahila Congress president. As she was being considered a close confidant of Yashpal Arya because he had asked her to contest election from Nainital assembly constituency and had also canvassed for her during assembly election 2012.
Now again when a Rajya Sabha seat vacated then he placed his another loyal and Ex MP Pradeep Tamta. With this declaration CM Harish Rawat ascertained that he not only has command in state politics but also in 10 Janpath because they nominated Pradeep Tamta on his request. It was being thought by some that an “outsider” could be nominated from Uttarakhand but by playing the ‘Dalit card’ Rawat did not leave any option before party high command.
Although state home minister Pritam Singh was sent to Haldwani to talk to Yashpal Arya but he could not satisfy his queries so he brought him back to Dehradun. Meanwhile PDF chairman Mantri Prasad Naithani was brought back to Dehradun but they have not surrendered so CM Rawat called them for tea at Bijapur guest house on Saturday late evening. Sources said that CM Rawat could not believe that PDF may take such strategic step for Rajya Sabha seat.
Meanwhile Nainthani said that PDF always helped the state government in all the decision and even they did not ditch when there was strong presumption that PDF may shift its loyalty but this time they were not kept in confidence while declaring the candidate for Rajya Sabha election.
Although state PCC president Kishore Upadhyay, who kept opposing the BJP and Congress dissident as if he would get something big but when Tamta name declared by party high command then he managed to hide his anger in words but face expression was visible that he himself stunned with this decision. Talking to the Pioneer state BJP chief spokesperson Munna Singh Chouhan said that currently political atmosphere is suitable for BJP candidate in upcoming Rajya Sabha election. He said that he did not know as the decision is being taken by BJP central leadership but expressed hope that the party will field a candidate.