Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj has reiterated that he won’t contest the upcoming lok Sabha elections and stressed that no one from his family would be contested the Parliamentary elections 2014 as well.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Harish Rawat expressed hopes that all party leaders will honour the decision taken by Congress high command. State Congress chief Yashpal Arya also talked to Maharaj and informed him that the internal issues raised by the Garhwal MP would be resolved. He opined that Maharaj would also honour the decision taken by the party high command.
The continued factionalism in Congress was evident but senior party leaders are denying this. CM Rawat dismissed talk of factionalism, stating that difference of opinion will not prevent party leaders from respecting decisions taken by the party high command.
Meanwhile, Maharaj said that he had decided in the past to abstain from contesting the 2014 Parliamentary polls considering the apathy towards Garhwal and party workers. He said the party should field a dedicated and honest party worker from Garhwal lok Sabha seat.
“I had submitted a list of party workers to former CM Vijay Bahuguna and the present CM but the workers were not honoured. Regarding the Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway line, for the past two years I have repeatedly requested the previous and present Chief Ministers but land has not yet been transferred for this to the Rail Vikas Nigam limited which is delaying the execution of this project. I had also requested that necessary facilities be made at Gauchar for Navy recruitment camp but this has not been done yet. Those who lost their homes in disaster have not been provided land and various other issues which I raised in the last two years are pending,” said the Garhwal MP in a statement released to the media.
Meanwhile Congress State spokesman Dhirendra Pratap informed that he had left for Delhi on Friday to talk to the Garhwal MP. “I hope that Maharaj and ex CM Vijay Bahuguna will be convinced soon and the party high command will find a solution to all problems by Holi. I am confident that Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and Congress state in-charge Ambika Soni will soon intervene in this matter which will be resolved through talk,” stated Pratap.