Pritam Singh vs Harish Rawat: Congress faces faction war in Uttarakhand

By Express News Service

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand unit of Indian National Congress after losing state assembly elections to rival Bhartiya Janta Party is not able to deal with factionalism inside the party. 

The two groups- one favoring Pritam Singh and another former Chief Minister Harish Rawat are in tussle to get the position of leader of opposition in the state assembly where Congress has 18 of the 70 seats while the BJP has total 47 MLAs.

“Rawat ji is senior but his performance in these elections have been disastrous. He lost himself by memore than 17500 votes. However, party’s performance has improved slightly. But the second line up of the leaders do not want him to continue in active politics sabotaging their prospects,” said a party insider. 

On Monday, state in charge for the party Devendra Yadav had a meeting with stay leaders including Pritam Singh and Harish Rawat to decide on leader of opposition in the state assembly. 

Few months prior to state assembly elections Singh was made leader of opposition removing him from the position of state party President.

Earlier, Dr Indira Hridayesh held the position who was Congress MLA from Haldwani and died in June last year. 

The move was seen as diminishing Singh’s role as decision maker in the upcoming elections by Harish Rawat and installing his candidates on key positions such as state party president. 

With Rawat losing another assembly elections, political career of the senior Congress leader is at stake, said political analysts adding that the party has performed better than 2017 elections and this must be used to create and promote second line up of the state leaders for future political prospects. 

However, many still believe that the party was able to rise from 11 seats to 18 seats because of Rawat’s hold on people.

Rawat was defeated by Bhartiya Janta Party candidate in Lalkuwa by more than 17500 votes. In 2017 state assembly elections he lost from two seats he contested. 

Now whispers are doing rounds that Rawat must be shunned by the high command to make way for the second line up of the leaders.

After he lost from Kiccha and Haridwar Rural seats in 2017 many had touted that his political career was over.

Come 2022, he became indispensable for the Congress party in Uttarakhand and the party contested under his name.