NEW DELHI: With almost a year left for the Uttarakhand Assembly polls, differences within the Congress have come to the fore as former state Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who has suggested that the party should project a chief ministerial face, seems upset with the working style of the party.
In a tweet Rawat addressed to Congress in-charge of Uttarakhand Devendra Yadav, Rawat had recently insisted on a categorical announcement about the party’s chief ministerial candidate ahead of the 2022 polls to stop infighting within the party ranks.
Speaking to ANI, Rawat said that he raised this issue with the party functionary in the state but he has been given a reply that the party will go with a collective leadership.
Rawat, who is confident and ready with facts in support of declaring face for the upcoming polls, said that in recent elections, Congress projected a face in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab and yielded positive results and even form the government.
He is of the view that if Congress will project a face then the election will become regional and will be fought on local issues rather than on “national and emotional issues as used by the BJP in recent polls”.
“The leadership of Trivender Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand Chief Minister) will easily be questioned on local issues,” he said.
Lashing out at state leadership, Rawat said: “Where were collective efforts in the last 3-4 years. I was nowhere in the decision making. How can we build collective leadership in this way? I was neglected and avoided in the party programs but I never made an issue out of it.”
Earlier, Rawat had tweeted that he carries a “stool” along with him because he was not sure if he will get a place to sit at the party. Even for small appointments of his supporters in the state, he has to approach the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) leadership.
Rawat’s resentment is an alarm bell for Congress which has the challenge to come back to power in Uttarakhand. The state is also crucial for the party as it is fighting directly against the ruling BJP. However, infighting can cost much to Congress.