By fielding Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat against BJP stalwart and ex-CM Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri from Garhwal lok Sabha seat, the Congress has given enough hints that they are not going to give up on Gen Khanduri.
With this declaration the Congress has again made election Thakur Vs Brahmin here in Garhwal seat. By accepting high command’s instruction in such a crisis when leaders are running away from election, Cabinet Minister Rawat has shown his maturity but may prove to be a headache for the incumbent State Chief Minister Harish Rawat in future. He has even filled the gap, which was created after the departure of senior Congress leader Satpal Maharaj, in Garhwal division.
Coincidentally Harak Singh Rawat, who quite often get publicity for the wrong reasons giving the Opposition an opportunity to malign his image before the Congress high command, has shown his political maturity.
Talking to The Pioneer, a senior Congress leader said that by accepting State Congress in-charge Rajiv Shukla’s proposal to contest election Cabinet Minister Rawat has earned the status equal to CM Rawat, Ex-CM Vijay Bahuguna. Now onwards the party high command will take his opinion for possibly every decision.
Talking to The Pioneer a BJP leader said that “we are quite confident that Gen Khanduri will win Garhwal lok Sabha seat but now Gen Khanduri’s margin may be lesser than earlier.”
For instance, if the Congress had fielded other than Minister Rawat then Gen Khanduri might have won more than one lakh margin but now he would win by 80,000.He further said that Gen Khanduri, who had lost Assembly election with Congress candidate Surendra Singh Negi from Kotdwar during Assembly election-2012, has revised his strategy. He has been giving full emphasis on public meeting.
The leader further said that Cabinet Minister Rawat always be in media for wrong reason and we have bunch of allegations against Harak Singh Rawat so we will educate the people during campaign.
Talking to The Pioneer harak Singh Rawat said that being a Sainik Kalyan Minister he has done several works for the welfare of servicemen and ex-servicemen. Now he will educate the people so that they would be able to make comparison with BJP regime in between 2007-12 and Congress regime since March 2012.