Resolved to defeat the nine Congress MlAs, who first raised the banner of revolt against the 'hegemony' of Chief Minister Harish Rawat and later switched to the BJP, in the upcoming Assembly election, Rawat seems to have firmed up a two-pronged strategy. The first part of the strategy, plan-A, is to woo those from the BJP in whose constituencies the saffron party is likely to field the dissidents and the second part, plan-B, is to stitch an electoral understanding with the BSP for the seats which saw triangular contests to make the fight straight this time.
Sources close to the CM said that he is hell-bent on teaching bitter lessons to particularly two former MlAs- Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion who was elected from Khanpur constituency and Dr Shailendra Mohan Singhal, former MlA from Jaspur constituency. It is learnt that to make these two former MlAs bite the dust in the ensuing electoral battle, the CM is keen to thrash out an understanding with BSP. Either the Congress would field candidates of its own with support from BSP or the ruling party would extend support to the candidates of BSP if the latter fields its candidates.
There is little doubt, say the observers, that the CM would leave no stone unturned to turn the tables on the nine rebel leaders, now inducted in BJP, who made the Congress leader go through the worst political crisis he has ever faced in his public life. They are Vijay Bahuguna (Sitarganj), Harak Singh Rawat (Rudraprayag), Subodh Uniyal (Narendranagar), Dr Shailendra Mohan Singhal (Jaspur), Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion (Khanpur), Amrita Rawat (Ramnagar), Umesh Sharma Kau (Raipur), Shailarani Rawat (Kedarnath) and Pradeep Batra (Roorkee).
The Congress would try all means to poach the saffron leaders who have been eying the constituencies from where the party is likely to field the former Congress leaders, now in BJP. In case they join the Congress the party would not hesitate to give them nominations to turn the contest bitter for the rebels. For instance, the former MlA Om Gopal who had joined BJP, deserting UKD before the Assembly election-2012, might be given the Congress ticket for Narendranagar Assembly constituency from where the BJP brass is likely to put the former MlA Uniyal, one of the Congress rebels who switched sides later. Same might be the case for Roorkee constituency as the ruling party is considering to bring to its folds former MlA Suresh Jain as the BJP is most likely to offer tickets to Pradeep Batra, one of the Congress rebels.As things stand now, the same might happen to Raipur Assembly constituency. Congress is weighing the option of wooing the BJP leader, left grumbling following the switch of the rebels to BJP, to give a cutting edge to the contest as BJP is likely to field the Umesh Sharma Kau, the former rebel, now inducted in BJP.The Congress is particularly focused on retaining two important seats -landaura and Jaspur, deemed for long as invincible redoubt for the party. The picture changed drastically after two MlAs - Champion and Dr Singhal - who had been winning their seat in a row since the state was formed, turned rebels and later switched to BJP. Even after delimitation of assembly constituency.
The Congress has conceived the plan-B to humble these two leaders. The contests for these two constituencies were triangular in the previous election with BSP being in the fray. Now, the Congress is determined to make the contest straight ones by bringing BSP on board. The Congress might support a BSP candidate if the latter fields its candidate in one of the two seats and BSP would support Congress in the other seat by reciprocal gesture in case Congress puts its candidate.
"One thing is clear as daylight that the crafty Harish Rawat would not let the dissidents who challenged his throne by joining hands with BJP to rest in peace. He is ready to go the whole hog to show them that it is Harish Rawat who speaks the last word in the State politics," said a State watcher.