Dehradun: Just a few months before the assembly elections, the BJP in Uttarakhand is facing the threat of defection from its MLAs. On Friday, State Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat had threatened to resign in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
While the BJP leadership denied reports that the minister might join the Congress along with four other party MLAs in the coming days, Rawat did not keep in touch.
Ministers present at the meeting told ThePrint that Rawat had left in a panic as his demand for funds for the construction of a new medical college in his constituency, Kotwadar, was not considered by the cabinet.
“He had some complaints regarding the cabinet providing funds for the medical college. This was later resolved and he was pacified by senior party leaders in Delhi. Things have sorted out and soon I will meet him to discuss his issues further,” state BJP president Madan Kaushik told ThePrint.
“He is currently keeping his distance from the media but will meet the CM and him tonight to sort out his issues. All their grievances will be addressed,” said Kaushik.
BJP leaders in Uttarakhand, however, said that apart from the medical college fund, Rawat has other demands as well, but the BJP leadership has failed to address them.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dhami told the media on Saturday, “It is a family matter and we will resolve it together. Harak Singh Rawat has no pressure. Sometimes there are some compulsions from your constituency, but will deal with it.”
Back in Congress?
Speculations are rife that Rawat is likely to return to the Congress along with four other BJP MLAs. These MLAs belong to a group of nine rebel MLAs who left the Congress party under the leadership of former CM Vijay Bahugana in 2017 after parting ways with the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
Responding to the reports, senior Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in the House Pritam Singh said that the doors of Congress are open for Harak Rawat, but the final decision rests with the party high command.
Asked whether he spoke to Rawat after the minister was out of the cabinet meeting, Singh said, “Everything cannot be said in words, but you should know that we are speaking again and again.” . He has been our former colleague and we will welcome him if he wants to return to the party.
Harak Rawat has already had several meetings with Pritam Singh and had telephonic conversations with Harish Rawat.