The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal’s ad-hoc executive committee has validated the expulsion of party patron Kashi Singh Airy and nine members ordered by the party chief Trivendra Singh Panwar recently. During a meet of the district heads and ad-hoc executive committee in Rishikesh on Sunday, the Rudraprayag district unit was dissolved.
Panwar said that his decision to expel Airy and nine members was validated by the House at the meet on Sunday.
Observers point out that this development will only stoke the dissent between two factions in the party which appear to be heading for what is expected to be a decisive confrontation with both the factions announcing separate dates for holding State level party meets this month.
The faction opposed to UKD president TS Panwar has announced that it has finalised arrangements for the bi-annual convention to be held on May 19-20. Both the factions are calling themselves valid and the other side unconstitutional.
It will be recalled that earlier this year, the party’s sole MlA and Cabinet Minister Pritam Singh Panwar had said that he did not acknowledge TS Panwar as the party chief as his term had expired and he was continuing on the post unconstitutionally. Following this he was suspended from the party. Recently the UKD patron Kashi Singh Airy and nine party members were also expelled from the party by TS Panwar for alleged anti-party activities and indiscipline. Following this the UKD vice president Narendra Singh strongly objected to the party chief’s ‘autocratic’ attitude while adding that he did not recognise Panwar as the party chief as his term had expired in the past. Now the faction supporting Airy has invited the old and new party workers to the party’s bi-annual meet slated for May 19-20.
This faction has stressed that TS Panwar is continuing on the party chief’s post unconstitutionally and that discussions will be held to facilitate the election of the party executive and the new chief.
Political observers point out that the simmering discontent within the UKD against TS Panwar for what is seen as his autocratic attitude. Old timers of the party lament that Panwar’s actions have caused the position of the party to deteriorate further and the regional party which was once comparatively stronger now appears to be sinking with about a dozen off shoots and factions of the UKD.