Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj has categorically said that he would not contest the lok Sabha election. With this announcement, it has becomd clear that the State Congress continues to struggle with factionalism. This announcement came on a day when sweets were distributed at the Congress party head office in Dehradun to mark completion of two years of the Congress-led State government in power.
Maharaj has stated that Chief Minister Harish Rawat had recently assured the Congress high command that he (Rawat) would ensure the party’s victory from three of the five Parliamentary seats — Almora, Nainital and Haridwar, in the coming elections. Citing this as a sign of continued apathy towards Garhwal and Tehri lok Sabha seats and adding that party workers have been disrespected, the sitting MP from Garhwal has decided to abstain from contesting the election. Meanwhile, the Congress central election committee met in New Delhi on Thursday morning and the list of candidates for the Parliamentary seats in Uttarakhand is expected to be released after Holi on
March 17, said party State spokesman Dhirendra Pratap. He said that all efforts will be made to placate Maharaj. Maharaj is seen as a strong contender for the Garhwal seat, but he has stated that despite his repeated reminders to the previous Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and present Chief Minister Harish Rawat, the party workers were not honoured. In a statement issued to the media, he said, “Pauri and Tehri sustained severe damage in the disaster with connecting roads, supply of power and water, education and health facilities still not in a proper condition and several villages without road links. The public is suffering due to bridges, trolleys and ropeways not being constructed across rivers in these areas. Apart from this I am troubled by the apathy towards party workers,” he said, adding that he will not contest the Parliamentary election 2014 considering the apathy towards public and party workers.
Meanwhile, the Congress State spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said that Maharaj is a strong party contender for the Garhwal seat and all efforts will be made to placate him. The names of party candidates for the seats in Uttarakhand will most probably be declared after Holi, he added.
While sitting MPs Maharaj, Pradeep Tamta and KC Singh Baba from Garhwal, Almora and Nainital seats respectively are seen as strong contenders for the party ticket to contest from these segments, there are various contenders within the Congress for all the five lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand. Party leaders Brahmswaroop Brahmachari, Santosh Chauhan and a family member of CM Harish Rawat are seen as contenders for the Haridwar seat.
With former CM and ex-Tehri MP Vijay Bahuguna stating that he is not interested to contest the election, his son Saket Bahuguna, former MlA Kishore Upadhyaya, ex cabinet minister Shurvir Singh Sajwan and MlA Nav Prabhat are seen as contenders for the Tehri seat. Though senior party leaders in Uttarakhand continue to talk of maintaining unity within the party, observers point out that factionalism might rise after the party declares its candidates from the five Parliamentary seats. Apart from this, dissatisfaction regarding allocation of portfolios to Cabinet ministers has also continued.