Vijay Bahuguna sworn in asUttarakhand chief minister

Vijay Bahuguna was Tuesday sworn in as chief minister of Uttarakhand at an event clouded by strong dissent from a section of Congress workers owing allegiance to party leader Harish Rawat.

He was the administered oath of office at a simple ceremony by Governor Margret Alva.

The swearing in came amid demand by a section of Congress leaders in Uttarakhand that union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat be given the top job.

Rawat, who is party MP from Hardwar, was in contention for chief minister’s post along with a few other leaders but lost out to Bahuguna.

Bahuguna, 65, was chosen as leader of the Congress legislature party (CLP) by party president Sonia Gandhi Monday evening.

Supporters of Rawat, including party MP Pradeep Tamta, came out in the open to oppose the decision.

Tamta said there was an understanding that the CLP leader will be chosen from among MLAs but an MP had been chosen for the post. He said “injustice” had been again done to Rawat.

Tamta said Rawat was denied a chance to be chief minister when the party came to office in 2002.

Congress sources said Rawat wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressing his displeasure over not being made chief minister of the hill state.

However, Congress spokesperson Raashid Alvi reaffirmed that a decision had been taken and it was acceptable to all party workers.

“The decision of the Congress high command is acceptable to all the party workers,” Alvi said.

Bahuguna had told reporters in Dehradun earlier that he will form his cabinet over the next few days after consulting the party high command.

The Congress had performed marginally better than Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly polls securing 32 of 70 seats. BJP had won 31 seats.

Congress secured support of three independents and the lone MLA of Uttarkhand Kranti Dal (P). The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has three MLAs, has also decided to support the Congress in the hill state.