Delhi Confidential: Harak Singh Rawat likely to be inducted into Congress, but not fielded for polls

Despite AICC in-charge of Uttarakhand Devendra Yadav and state leaders, including party unit president Ganesh Godiyal and CLP leader Pritam Singh, pushing for re-inducting Harak Singh Rawat into Congress, his re-entry has been delayed because of strong opposition from Harish Rawat. But now a formula appears to have been worked out. Or at least it is in the works. Sources said Harak Singh Rawat, who was a state minister in the BJP government, will be inducted but he will not be fielded as a candidate. Instead, his daughter-in-law could be given a ticket, possibly from Lansdowne constituency. Sources said Harak Singh Rawat, who is now in a desperate situation, appears to be agreeable to the idea.

Request Denied: Uttarakhand’s former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat’s letter to BJP president J P Nadda, just ahead of the announcement of candidate list, has amused many in the party. The party corridors were abuzz with whispers that Rawat, who has been unhappy ever since he was removed from the CM’s post, had sensed that he would not get ticket from the constituency of his choice and that is the reason he wrote to Nadda, expressing unwillingness to contest the Assembly election. Sources said Rawat wanted to shift from Doiwala to Raipur. On coming to know of this, Raipur sitting MLA Umesh Sharma Kau rushed to Delhi. He told the party’s top leaders that if his seat is taken away, he would quit. The party leadership then assured him it would not happen. Rawat then got the message that he would not be able to get his seat changed. Party insiders said Rawat did not inform the party leadership about his decision not to contest even when discussions on candidates took place last week.

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