Bahuguna downplays Rawat’s dissent

Downplaying party leader Harish Rawat’s displeasure over his selection, Uttarakhand Chief Minister designate Vijay Bahuguna Tuesday said it was the Congress party’s internal matter and will be resolved.

“It is the Congress party’s internal matter… the central leadership is looking into the matter and will resolve it,” Bahuguna told NDTV news channel in Dehradun.

Rawat had Tuesday written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressing his displeasure over not being made the Uttarakhand chief minister.

There were reports that he had resigned from the cabinet but Congress leaders denied this.

Scotching rumours of Rawat joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahuguna said: “Harish is a true Congressman and can never go with communal forces.”

Rawat, who is minister of state for agriculture and parliamentary affairs, is miffed that Vijay Bahuguna was picked up for the top job in the hill state instead of him.

“The decision of the Congress high command is acceptable to all the party workers and leaders and Vijay Bahuguna will take the oath as Uttarakhand chief minister,” Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters.

A party legislator from Uttarakhand said: “I have come to know that Rawat has written to Soniaji. Injustice has been done to Harish Rawat…in 2002 also we fought the election under him but N.D. Tiwari was made the chief minister… we accepted Tiwari as he was a senior leader,” he said.