With an intention to win all the five lok Sabha seats of the State, the Congress may field sitting MPs in the State. As per the formula, party’s candidates for three seats are clear. However, ambiguity continues over the two seats — Tehri, which was vacated by former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Haridwar, which is being represented by incumbent CM Harish Rawat.
Sources said that on both seats both leaders’ opinion would be decisive factors. If the Congress gives ticket to Saket Bahuguna from Tehri then Anan Rawat, who has been active in the Youth Congress, may be fielded from Haridwar seat. Sources said that MP Satpal Maharaj can be fielded from Garhwal lok Sabha seat, MP Pradeep Tamta from Almora and MP KC Singh Baba from Nainital lok Sabha seat.
Although all eyes are on Tehri and Haridwar lok Sabha seats because both seats have become prestige issue for two senior leaders. It would be pertinent to mention here that Vijay Bahuguna had vacated the Tehri lok Sabha seat after becoming CM of Uttarakhand but could not retain the seat in Tehri lok Sabha bypoll in October 2012. Though the Congress had fielded then CM Bahuguna’s son Saket Bahuguna in the bypoll, he was defeated by BJP candidate Maharani Rajya lakshmi Shah with a margin of around 22,000 votes. Since then anti-Bahuguna faction got active and ultimately he lost the Chief Minister post to Harish Rawat on February 1, 2014.
Sources said that Ex-CM Bahuguna’s opinion would be decisive factor while allocating ticket for Tehri lok Sabha seat. Saket Bahuguna is expected to be fielded from the seat. Party’s ticket for Haridwar seat would be to given to either son or daughter of CM Harish Rawat — Anand Rawat or Anupma Rawat, sources added. However, anti-Bahuguna faction wanted former CM Vijay Bahuguna to fight lS election from Tehri seat as BJP may face infighting on Tehri seat, sources said.
A senior party member said that if the BJP fields their sitting MP Rajya lakshmi Shah, former MlA Munna Singh Chauhan will revolt within the BJP benefiting the Congress. Haridwar seat is being represented by Harish Rawat, who had shifted Haridwar from Almora because the seat turned as reserve seat after new delimitation in 2009, had won the seat by more than 1,50,000 vote margin. Being the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, three seats namely Almora, Nainital and Haridwar have become prestige issue for CM Rawat otherwise anti-Rawat faction would get active after lok Sabha election.
During Assembly election-2012, Rawat’s ward daughter and son were running for Haridwar urban and rural Assembly seat but they were denied ticket by the party. Then party had categorically said that no ward of party leaders will be given ticket but now party wants to repeat the result of last general election because then congress had won all the five seats of Uttarakhand despite being BJP-led Government in the State.