Repositioning of the State Congress which is long overdue, may now take place soon. If the party insiders are to be believed, the central leadership of the Congress Party may take a decision in regard to restructuring of its Uttarakhand unit soon after the Assembly polls in five States or in early next year.
It is worth mention here that party activists had started raising their voices for bringing in organisational changes in the State Congress soon after the party took over the reins of Uttarakhand Government about two years back.
It may be recalled that none other than senior Congress leader and Central Minister Harish Rawat had also voiced for handing over the party reins in Uttarakhand to Almora — Pithoragarh MP, Pradeep Tamta. However, this demand could not make much impression on the Congress Party then. And except
assurances from the central leadership there
has been no development on organisational front in Uttarakhand Congress, said the party leaders here.
There are various factors that might have delayed the organisational reshuffle within the state Congress here like Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna’s election to the Uttarakhand assembly from Sitarganj seat, followed by Tehari lok Sabha by polls and then the tragic Himalayan Tsunami that badly devastated life and property in the hill state this monsoon season.
The party leadership had an opportunity to go for a change within the state Congress after party’s defeat in the high profile Tehari lok Sabha by polls which was attracting a lot of attention as the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna’s son was in the fray from this seat. But the Congress high command missed that opportunity and put on hold the demand of the state party activists for organisational changes within party’s state unit even after party’s defeat in this high profile Tehri by elections, maintained the party leaders here.
Had the party taken any decision regarding restructuring of party during the devastating monsoon it would have looked a bit awkward. Now understandably perhaps soon after completion of the electoral process in the five states, the party leadership may decide upon the long pending demand of the party’s rank and file for a change within the state Congress, added the party activists.
It is to note that the Congress Party activists would definitely like to go to the general elections which are going to be a keenly contested electoral battle in 2014, under a new leadership in the state .
When this issue of repositioning of the state Congress was raised with Prakash Joshi, party’s in charge of UP Congress affairs and a close confidante of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, he did not divulge much on this issue, saying since I am in charge of party’s UP Congress matters, therefore I am not in a position to speak much on the issues related to the Uttarakhand Congress.
He, however, talking to The Pioneer, maintained that perhaps after the completion of the assembly polls in five states, the Congress Party may deal with Uttarakhand party affairs.