The Uttarakhand Rajya Nirman Andolankari Samman Parishad vice-chairman Dhirendra Pratap has staked his claim to be party candidate in the election for the Rajya Sabha seat from Uttarakhand fallen vacant following the recent demise of Congress MP Manorama Dobriyal Sharma.
He said that since Sharma was fielded by the Congress for the Rajya Sabha seat in view of her role in the Statehood movement, the next candidate of the party for this seat should also be a Statehood activist.
Addressing the media in Dehradun on Tuesday, Pratap informed that he had written a letter to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi stating that considering his role in the Statehood agitation, he should be fielded as the party candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.
He said, “Nine members of my family were jailed during the Statehood agitation and it is now time the Congress honoured this.” Pratap also lamented that he had repeatedly sought the party ticket for Vidhan Sabha and lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand during the past 14 years but had not been fielded by the party.
Stressing that a local personality should be given the party ticket for the Rajya Sabha seat instead of actors, politicians or advocates from other States, he said that he would welcome the party's decision if it decided to field former Chief Minister and MlA Vijay Bahuguna for the seat.
Responding to former MP Pradeep Tamta advocating the candidature of a Dalit for this seat, Pratap said that as there had been various high caste Chief Ministers in Uttarakhand in 14 years, he would be happy if the Congress makes either Yashpal Arya or Pradeep Tamta the Chief Minister.