The ruling Congress that seems to be losing its grip in Terai politics as the last Assembly polls here suggest, would continue to keep its options open at least for the time being in regard to BJP MlA from Rudrapur Assembly constituency Raj Kumar Thukral, who is on the run in connection with Rudrapur incident of October 2011 for nearly four months. Keeping an eye on the upcoming panchayat and lok Sabha polls, the State BJP has threatened to resume its agitation from Tuesday in case the State Government fails to find an amicable solution of the MlA Thukral case.
For the Congress, the Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar parliamentary constituency is extremely important to improve its performance in the upcoming lok Sabha elections along with other seats belonging to hilly regions of the Himalayan State, given different cast based politics of the Terai region comprising plains of Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital districts.
It is the same cast and community based political equations of this prestigious Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar Assembly constituency’s Terai belt that have helped the Congress retain this seat subsequently for the past two terms. Yet, surprisingly, the Opposition BJP, defying all the pre-poll analysis, won seven seats in the State Assembly elections held in early 2012, losing lone seat to Congress’ Vijay Bahuguna in the Sitarganj bypoll held in July 2012.
Since then, the BJP leaders here believe the Congress has not come to terms with this popular verdict. Now, keeping in view the upcoming three-tier panchayat polls and the lok Sabha polls, it wants to continue its political vendetta against the Opposition party MlAs, they allege. But the people of this region which consists of different castes and creeds have always maintained mutual trust and friendship among themselves and have contributed to the peaceful coexistence. They would not allow anyone to disturb the atmosphere of communal harmony of this Terai region which in a sense truly represents India’s composite culture, they further say.
In the meanwhile, leader of the Opposition in the State legislative Assembly Ajay Bhatt, during his Kumaon visit here on Sunday, threatened to intensify the StateBJP’s stir against the Congress led State Government from Tuesday when the Budget session of the State legislative Assembly is going to be resumed on the same MlA Thukral case. “Earlier, on getting assurances from Chief Minister Harish Rawat we called off our agitation urging the State Government to break the deadlock over MlA Thukral issue. But the Chief Minister has done nothing so far. Therefore, we have decided to resume in connection with this issue from coming Tuesday,” he said.
It may be recalled that the senior leaders of the State BJP also called on then CM Vijay Bahuguna to urge the Government to work out the MlA Thukral case. However, except assurances, as the BJP leaders here allege, nothing has been done in this case. It would interesting to see how the new Chief Minister handles the MlA Thukral case in the coming days.