Dehradun: Congress on Sunday night was struggling to decide on who will be its Chief Minister in Uttarakhand with party leaders huddled in a series of meetings here with aspirants in the race for the top job.
Party sources said PCC president Yashpal Arya may be emerging as a front-runner and a final decision will be taken by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, probably on Monday. Union Minister Harish Rawat and Party MP Vijay Bahuguna, both also staking their claim for chief ministership, had a two-hour meeting with AICC general secretary in-charge for the state Chaudhary Birender Singh and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at the latter’s residence here.
Rawat said he met Azad here to put across his views on government formation in the state. “I have put my views to him. We are not only making an attempt to form a government but to run it as well. I had requested him for a meeting because I could not meet Azad when he went to Uttarakhand,” Rawat told reporters.
The meeting came a day after the party’s central observers, Azad and Birender Singh, who elicited the views of the party’s 32 legislators as also 2 independent MLAs in Dehradun on the leadership issue, submitted their report to party chief Sonia Gandhi. In the 70-member Assembly, Congress has emerged as the largest party with 32 MLAs and has the support of three independent MLAs and one from UKD. The BSP, having a strength of three members, today pledged its unconditional support to the Congress raising its tally to 39. “On the direction of Bahen Mayawati ji, our party has decided to give full support to Congress,” state BSP President Surajmal told PTI in Dehradun.
Surajmal said since the party has given unconditional support to Congress, BSP would like to join Congress in forming new government. “We will like to share power with Congress,” he said.
Bahuguna said “our views were sought. It is not about formation of government but challenges will come after that as well. Our opinion was sought on this.
We have given it and we hope that Congress President will be apprised of our views.” The senior Congress MP said the decision on leadership issue may take a day or two. Indications have been given by the senior Congress leadership that the leader would be an MLA, reducing the chances of both Rawat and Bahuguna, who are MPs.
A renewed factional feud in the state party unit has failed the party to arrive at a consensus choice. Most of the MLAs were camping in the national capital to express solidarity with their choice of leader.
Arya had also earlier met Azad and a number of party MLAs also talked to Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel on the issue. Besides Arya, leader of the opposition Harak Singh Rawat, former minister Pritam Singh and Indira Hirdesh (all MLAs) are among the top contenders for the CM’s post. (PTI)