Race to occupy the lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Uttarakhand, which has been vacated after death of MP Manorama Dobriyal Sharma, has intensified. As per the political calculations since Brahmin and Rajput castes make up the majority of the population, Chief Minister Harish Rawat is making all effort to maintain balance between the two castes.
As Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Singh Mahra is a Rajput and belongs to Kumaon region so chances are imminent that Garhwali Brahmin may be given ticket to Rajya Sabha. Although final picture would be clear after announcement but talk in the power corridors indicates that a Brahmin from Garhwal may be given ticket by the party high command.
Three Brahmins are in queue for this seat — ex-CM and MlA Vijay Bahuguna, MlA Navprabhat and State PCC president and ex-MlA Kishore Upadhyaya. Although in November 2014, Ex CM Vijay Bahuguna candidature was denied because if he would have been sent to Rajya Sabha then state would again face assembly bypoll. In this scenario Bahuguna and Navprabhat chances seems bleak.
Though the astute CM Rawat, who has also met the party president Sonia Gandhi during Holi, has kept his cards close to his chest those privy to him say he is weighing his options keeping in view the permutations and combinations of the fast-moving matrix of the State Congress politics.
Uttarakhand being dominated by Brahmin and Rajput castes and remaining tethered to the antediluvian caste bigotry, it would be interesting as to see how the CM would marry caste-equations to the imperative of chastening his carping critics.
Harish Rawat Cabinet has presently 10 ministers including six from congress party. In which two are Rajputs i.e. Harak Singh Rawat and Surendra Singh Negi; one each is Brahmin, Vaishya, SC & ST i.e. Indira Hridayesh; Dinesh Aggrawal, Yashpal Arya and Preetam Singh respectively.
During Vijay Bahuguna regime, then union cabinet minister Harish Rawat had managed to procured the seat for his loyal and Ex MlA Mahendra Singh Mahra. With this he has managed to balance between two castes. Even in November 2014 CM had sent Manorma Dobriyal Sharma to Rajya Sabha by using Brahmin & Woman card. Then Ex CM Bahuguna could not counter the Rawat’s card so people are waiting that how CM Rawat will defeat Ex CM Bahuguna this timeIJ
It would be pertinent to mention here that during November 2014 CM Rawat’s loyalist and Assembly speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal and cabinet minister Surendra Singh Negi had started advocating for Ex CM Bahuguna for Rajya Sabha. later party high command placed Dobriyal then so people are desperate to see how Rawat would defeat Bahuguna second time on single issue i.e. Rajya Sabha ticket.