Express News Service
DEHRADUN: Harak Singh Rawat was dismissed from the state cabinet by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday late night.
Rawat was also suspended from the Bhartiya Janta Party for six years.
“Harak Singh Rawat has been dismissed from the state cabinet and suspended from the BJP too for his constant pressure politics. Party and the CM had it enough, said a BJP leader confirming his dismissal.
However, formal confirmation in writing was yet to come till the time of writing this report.
Sources said that he along with his daughter-in-law Anukriti Gusain might join Congress party on Monday.
Rumors started on Saturday after he did not attend the core group meeting of the party for ticket distribution on Saturday.
Sources said that MLA from Kotdwar, he had been demanding ticket for himself from Kedarnath and for his daughter-in-law from Lansdowne state assembly seat.
Following this the BJP MLA from Lansdowne and prospective candidates from Kedarnath warned the party to leave and contest from another party or independently.
Dilip Singh Rawat, BJP MLA from Lansdowne seat has expressed his displeasure and also took a dig on Rawat.
Though the MLA has reiterated that he will not leave the BJP, targeting the state cabinet minister who was one of the nine rebels to join the BJP in 2016 after leaving the Indian National Congress Dilip Singh Rawat further added, “I don’t have options like others. In my life it’s only one seat, one party and one wife. Others may have options I don’t.”
Shailarani Rawat, former MLA from Kedarnath and a probable BJP candidate from the seat have also told the party that she will consider other options if Harak Singh Rawat is fielded from the shrine seat.
At present, Manoj Rawat from the Indian National Congress is MLA from Kedarnath. He is one those who helped the party secure 11 seats in the 70-member state assembly in 2017 assembly elections.
Last month, the cabinet minister who left the cabinet meeting after banging his fist on the table while the state cabinet was on, had said that he will resign from the post. Rawat was also rumored to join the Congress.
The 24-hour political drama proved that the BJP is careful and cannot afford any defections at this crucial juncture when state assembly elections are due in less than 60-days.
Rawat had said he was going to resign. The cabinet minister had left the meeting over the issue of fund allocations for medical college in his constituency Kotdwar in Pauri district.
Later, the government had a located Rs 25 Crore for the medical college in Kotdwar next day.
Interestingly, Harak Singh Rawat led rebellion against the then Harish Rawat government in year 2016 when nine rebel MLAs including Harak Singh Rawat left the Congress and joined the BJP. Kau was also among the rebels.
Later, all nine contested on BJP ticket winning the 2017 assembly elections. Many of them including Rawat were given cabinet berth in the BJP government.
Official release by the state unit Bhartiya Janta Party released at 11.11pm stayed that Harak Singh Rawat was dismissed from cabinet. Suspension from the party due to ‘indiscipline’, says the official release.
Rawat will join Congress tomorrow at around 11am. Candidates list of Congress now delayed till Tuesday, said sources.
