Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, now in Delhi on a two-day visit, met AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday. Besides, he is all set to meet AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday. The development has triggered ripples in Uttarakhand politics as observers say that Chief Minister Harish Rawat is all set to reshuffle his Cabinet by inducting someone into the post vacated by the death of the State Transport Minister Surendra Rakesh last year.
“Bahuguna seems to be pulling out all the stops to curry favour with the High Command to have one of his confidantes inducted,” an observer said.
Talking to mediapersons after the meeting with Gandhi in Delhi, Bahuguna said that they had discussed in details about the execution of the promised projects rolled out by the party during the 2012 Assembly election. “It is now time to assess things on the ground as we have already are in the election mode. Time is approaching when we have to face the people, seeking their fresh mandate,” he said.
Reiterating his stance vis-a-vis the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), a loose combination of six non-Congress and non-BJP MlAs, he said the party must firm up its strategy about it soon, the year being an election year. “We cannot forget the PDF MlAs’ role during the critical juncture when Congress formed the government in the State. As many four such MlAs were inducted in the cabinet. That was in the fitness of things that it was done. But now, we have to chalk out a new strategy in keeping with the moving matrix of the State’s politics,” he said.
Mention worthy, Bahuguna keeps insisting that the PDF MlAs must be prevailed over to contest the upcoming Assembly election on Congress tickets. “But they are now grooming their constituencies independently to make room for their entry into the electoral battle independent of the Congress. This augurs ill for the party,” he had said a few days ago while talking to the media persons in Dehradun.
It would be pertinent to mention here that 2012 election had thrown a hung Assembly with Congress and BJP having won 32 and 31 seats respectively. Congress formed the government in assistance with the six PDF MlAs. later, to strengthen the position of the government, the then CM Bahuguna had lured BJP MlA from Sitarganj Kiran Mandal over to his side. The saffron MlA’s switch necessitated a by-poll contesting which successfully Bahuguna, then an MP, had entered the Assembly. His loyalists claim this to be a masterstroke of their mentor for his feat of increasing the party tally at the expense of the main rival, BJP. later, two BJP MlAs - Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Ajay Tamta- vacated their seats after they had got elected to lok Sabha from Haridwar and Almora constituencies respectively during the 2014 general election. Meanwhile, Dharchula MlA Harish Dhami vacated his seat to usher entry of Harish Rawat in Vidhan Sabha as a member. Bahuguna loyalists are inclined to contrast the entries of Bahuguna and Rawat while glorifying their leader and reflecting his successor in poor light.
By winning all these three by- polls, strength of Congress shot up to 35 in 70- member Assembly. Another by-election ensued after Bhagwanpur MlA and PDF quota cabinet minister Surendra Rakesh died in 2015. His widow Mamta Rakesh won the seat on Congress ticket. With this victory, Congress by itself crossed the crucial half way mark.
Since then, the faction loyal to Bahuguna has been insisting on the party to sever trucks with PDF to have Congressmen inducted in the cabinet, a move wily Harish Rawat has been stonewalling to resist entry of the Bahuguna loyalists. He as is wont keeps the matter of cabinet reshuffle hang in fire.
Speculations are rife in the Congress camp in the State as to what had transpired in the meeting between Sonia Gandhi and Vijay Bahuguna. “Doubtless, Bahuguna has apprised the party supremo of two things-the imperative to induct Congressmen in the cabinet at the expense of the PDF ministers and the likely hostile reactions to Rawat verbosely dishing out developmental promises with exchequer not strong enough to have them implemented,” one of the observers said.