The deputy leader of Congress legislature party, Karan Mahra met former chief minister Harish Rawat here on Monday. The meeting triggered speculation about the next step of the Harish Rawat camp in the ongoing factional feud in the state unit of the party.
Later talking to The Pioneer, Mahra said that he met Harish Rawat to hold discussions on a variety of issues. He said that the Delhi election was one point of discussions.
“We discussed how we can help Congress candidates in Delhi assembly elections. We also discussed strategy for the assembly elections of 2022. Since my focus is on the districts of Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Champawat districts, I held discussions with former CM about them,’’ he said.
On being asked- if the discussions involved Dharchula MLA, Harish Dhami who has resigned from the post of secretary in the new PCC, Karan Mahra said that Harish Rawat has said that since the assembly elections of 2022 are not far away, the issue should not be given much weightage.
He added that party MLAs would meet Harish Rawat after the Delhi assembly elections. Dharchula MLA has virtually revolted ever since the new PCC was announced. He was appointed as secretary by the party and his name was on the last position. Terming it as his insult the two time MLA had resigned from the post offered to him. The PCC president Pritam Singh accepted that the name of Dhami appeared erroneously in the list of secretaries.
Interestingly the episode gave the Harish Rawat camp to open front against Leader of Opposition (LoP) Indira Hridayesh. Dhami has accused the LoP for remaining friendly and non combative with the BJP government.
He said that the moment the BJP government stated that it would hold inquiry on the irregularities on the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIIDCUL) during the Congress reign; Indira Hridayesh adopted a soft stance on the Government.
Dharchula MLA claimed that eight out of eleven MLAs were not in favour of making her the LoP but everyone accepted the decision of the party high command.
He even claimed that the MLAs of would meet party high command and request to replace Indira Hridayesh with someone else. The meeting of Harish Rawat and Mahra on Monday is being viewed in the backdrop of the Harish Dhami episode and his open rebellion against Indira Hridayesh.