Cong stalwarts’ kin wait to take the batons from elders
To counter Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi’s policy to ensure maximum participation of youths in politics, veterans of the State Congress Party in Uttarakhand have played an assiduously cultivated political card in Uttarakhand.
The interesting fact is that if these regional satraps succeed in this masterstroke that they have played in achieving their certain political goals , they will not only be able to reaffirm their relevance in State as well as national politics but also be able to pass on their political baton to their kin.
The next generation in the Congress party is waiting in the wings in the Himalayan State for long to take the responsibility. But it seems with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s emphasis on strengthening inner party politics and to ensure maximum participation of youth leaders in the policy making at the party level, it has become not so easy for the veterans of the Congress leaders in Uttarakhand to launch their kin in the electoral politics the way they wish.
Therefore, it seems that the Congress MP from Pauri Garhwal, Satpal Maharaj, has withdrawn his candidature from the fray for the lok Sabha elections by making a public announcement. And this public announcement has only given rise to speculation over Maharaj’s attempt to launch his son Shardhey from Pauri seat. It is to note that Congress MP from Pauri, Satpal Maharaj’s wife, Amrita Rawat, has already established herself in State politics and she is a Cabinet Minister in the present State Government. So, Congress insiders here maintain, Shradhey has also been active in politics in recent years. He may be projected as the Congress candidate from Pauri lok Sabha seat. Maharaj’s public announcement that he is not contesting from the aforesaid lok Sabha seat, is being seen here in that context.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has already shown his reluctance to contest the Tehari lok Sabha elections. His son Saket was a Congress candidate in the Tehari bypolls held after senior Congress leader Bahuguna vacated this seat following his election to the State legislative Assembly about two years back. However, the BJP won the Tehari bypolls.
Therefore, the party leaders here maintain, by expressing his unwillingness to contest the lok Sabha polls from the Tehari lok Sabha seat, it seems that the former Chief Minister is trying to put forward the candidature of his son Saket from the Tehari lok Sabha seat. However, the interesting fact here is that Chief Minister Harish Rawat, has an upper hand in projecting his kin in electoral politics this time. With his taking over the reins of the Government, Rawat
will definitely have a say over selection of candidate
from the Haridwar lok Sabha seat which he is representing in the lok Sabha.
As the State Congress oarty leaders here inform, Renuka, wife of Chief Minister Rawat, may be the Congress nominee from the Haridwar seat.
More so, with Chief Minister Rawat’s son Anand Rawat and daughter Anupama Rawat, being active in State politics, their candidatures cannot also be ruled out from the Haridwar lok Sabha seat.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Ministers Indira Hardiyesh and Yashpal Arya have already brought their sons Sumit Hardiyesh and Sanjeev Arya respectively in politics. If political equations permit, these two Congress stalwarts would not hesitate to project their kin in the electoral politics ahead.