In a development that signals that Chief Minister Harish Rawat has finally started to appease the disgruntled within the party, Bhagwanpur MlA Mamta Rakesh has been appointed as chairperson of Women Empowerment Development Council by the State Government on Tuesday.
She has been given Cabinet minister status as well.
The State Congress watchers believe that the development would enthuse the leaders belonging to the faction led by the former CM Vijay Bahuguna who have been eying Cabinet berths for a long time. "leaders like Subodh Uniyal, Dr Shailendra Mohan Singhal and Rajendra Bhandari — all MlAs — might be exulted, thinking their turn to be inducted in the State Cabinet would come soon," said one of the observers.
Mamta Rakesh is the widow of former Cabinet minister Surendra Rakesh, who died of cancer in February this year. He represented the BSP (though he was later expelled from the party) in the Assembly. She kept demanding a Cabinet berth since her election in the by-poll as Congress candidate in May this year.
However, some party insiders feel that her appointment was expected, given the CM repeatedly hinting at it. "The appointment might be a part of the CM's strategy of consolidation of the party's electoral base for the upcoming Assembly election slated in 2017. She represents Schedule Caste. He might use it to endear himself to the sizable SC vote bank spread across Garhwal region. However, only time will say whether other Bahuguna faction leaders would be included in the Cabinet or not," one of them said.