The central leadership of the Congress Party emphasis on the need to strengthen inner party democracy discouraging dynastic politics, seems to have found a few takers within the party’s hierarchy.
Deployment of none other than her son Sumit Hridayesh who is presently chairman of the Haldwani mandi samiti by the State Finance Minister and MlA from Haldwani assembly constituency Indira Hridayesh for distribution of relief cheques among the needy from the Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF) here recently only gives that impression.
The interesting fact is that soon after formation of Congress Government in the Himalayan State in 2012, the State Finance Minister managed to bring in her son Sumit Hridayesh as the chairman of the Haldwani mandi samiti.
later, as then the Congress insiders allegedly said, the State Finance Minister and MlA from Haldwani also tried to promote her son in politics when she advocated for fielding her son Sumit Hridayesh for the post of Mayor of Haldwani municipal corporation.
But then, as the party insiders said, her dreams to make her son as the first citizen of Haldwani city as Mayor, were scuttled by the party’s central leadership which wanted to give representation in the electoral politics to others also within the party.
Yet, it was her influence within the party or otherwise, the MlA from Haldwani managed to give party ticket for the Mayor post of Haldwani to a party leader of her choice.
But this is another matter that her handpicked candidate badly lost to BJP candidate in the mayoral elections here in last year.
At the same time, as her critics say, in case the State Finance Minister gets a bigger role in national politics ahead, she would definitely promote her son Sumit Hridayesh from her present Haldwani assembly constituency.
The matter of fact is that no matter how strongly the Congress central leadership has advocated against promotion of dynastic politics, second line of dynastic politics is ready in Uttarakhand Congress.
Among others Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has already tried to promote his son fielding him from Tehri lok Sabha by polls last year.
Similarly, state Congress president Yashpal Arya has already brought in his son Sanjeev Arya as the chairman of a cooperative bank after the Congress Party coming to power in 2012.
Therefore, amid changing political scenario with emergence of political parties like AAP, it is to be seen how long the national political parties like Congress manages to discourage promotion of dynastic politics.
In the meanwhile, Sumit Hridayesh distributed relief cheques worth Rs4.50 lakh from the CMRF among the beneficiaries here on Tuesday, saying the Congress Government is always with the poor people.
Those needy people who have so far not been able to get the relief from the CMRF, would soon be provided the relief, he added.