Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, son of the illustrious Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, was in the eye of a storm that swept the ruling Congress party after he led eight other Congress MlAs out of the Congress. All the nine MlAs switched to Bharatiya Janata Party after they were disqualified by the Speaker of the Assembly under the anti-defection law. All the eight lawmakers who crossed over to the BJP have been awarded party tickets while Bahuguna’s son Saurav has been given ticket from Sitaraganj seat in Udham Singh Nagar district from where his father was elected in a by-election a few months after he was made the Chief Minister of the State. In a no-holds barred interview with Sunil Kumar of The Pioneer, he scotched all speculations of his eying the post of Chief Minister. While sounding confident that the BJP would come to power, he said his only mission is to have Harish Rawat who has reduced the Congress party to his private limited company thrown out of the post of Chief Minister. Excerpts:
Why are you so desperate to dislodge Congress from powerIJ Is it because you are trying to settle your personal scores with the chief minister Harish RawatIJ
let me tell you one thing. A party is nothing if it is not founded on the three pillars- ideology, leader and cadre. The role of leader is immense for the leader is instrumental in democratising a party, taking all on board, embracing even fierce internal criticism. Here, the reverse is true. The CM has reduced the party to his private limited company. That is why the party is shorn of upright leaders. It is a refuge for a band of self-seeking sycophants, shorn of any kind of ideology. All those who value self-respect over other considerations had to leave it. The process of desertion is still continuing and it would continue in the coming days if the party chooses to stick to Harish Rawat as its leader for the state.
Harish Rawat is boasting of returning to power with a comfortable majority. What is your take of itIJ
Impossible. You may remember that during the 2012 election, Congress posters and banners contained pictures of several leaders like Choudhary Birendra Singh, Satpal Maharaj, Vijay Bahuguna, Harak Singh Rawat and Yashpal Arya among others. However, this time round, all of them are in BJP. Things are clear for all to see which way the electoral winds are blowing. Congress does not have even a ghost of a chance to come back to power. And they know it well.
Don’t you think that going against the party when the appropriation bill was about to be passed amounts a sort of back-stabbingIJ
No. We were unhappy with the party vice- president Rahul Gandhi dealing unfairly Uttarakhand. He had no time left to hear out our grievances. The responsibility of the episode rests with Rahul Gandhi and Harish Rawat. Things were known to all how those Rawat did not like were being humiliated in the party. But the high command thought otherwise. I was loyal to the party. When the national leadership asked me to step down I resigned without having any second thought despite 23 MlAs remaining loyal to me at the time. I was with the state government, trying to guide it in the right way regarding matters like excise, mining and land use. But the CM used to trash my advice. The same was the case with others too who were not seeing eye to eye to the CM. Thus when those who were being ill-treated asked me to lead them I readily agreed as we had no hope left in the party with Rawat being at its helm. Besides, things were grave for the state. We failed to tab the central funds rightly. Non -plan expenditure rose to a staggering 75 percent of the total budget. When you pointed out these things in the interests of the government and the party he used to boo us down scornfully, betraying the despotic streak of his character.
Many of the observers opine that since the CM is contesting from Kichha seat of Udham Singh Nagar district aside from Haridwar Rural your son is most likely to lose the election from Sitarganj lying in the same district. They say that the CM’s crafty ploy has imparted a boost to the poll prospects of the ruling party in the district that has nine seats.
I want to say one thing. Harish Rawat’s game is over. He is on his way out. Another thing. Whether my son wins or loses does not matter. All that matters is the fact that BJP is forming the next government.
What about the promises you doled out to the electorate of SitaraganjIJ Have you been able to fulfill themIJ
As the MlA of Sitarganj, I executed several projects. But since the time Harish Rawat assumed the charge of Uttarkahnd, he chose to block the implementation of all such projects while sitting on the funds. For example, I promised a 100- bed hospital aside from a nursing college. The then medical education minister Harak Singh Rawat went to the CM along with the file. But he refused to give his nod.
Is the CM set to win the two seats he is contesting from IJ
It is clear that the CM no longer has confidence over the people of Uttarkahand which is why he is contesting from two seats. It is certain that if he is elected from both he would vacate one of them. This is what the people are confused over. Had he been confident he would have contested from a single seat.
Since you landed in BJP, there is alarm rising among the old guards of the party that your stock is rising there at the expense of them. There is also a buzz that if the party wins you would prove to be a serious contender for the post of the CM.
let me tell you one thing categorically that I am nowhere in the race for the post of CM. My only mission is to bring BJP to power here to help the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rebuild the state according to his developmental dream.
I also want the people to be freed from the vicious clutches of the Harish Rawat. He is wrecking the state by all means.
There is also a perception that you might betray BJP in the same manner you betrayed Congress to fulfill your personal agenda.
It is totally wrong to say that we ditched Congress. We left as Harish Rawat forced us to do so. We sacrificed our membership as a consequence. You might call it a sacrifice in the greater interests of the state. The people understand this. Rawat must suffer the consequences of what he has done to the state. Wait for a few days and things would be clear.