Form of words:
Dehradun: Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat, in the news as Congress’s Punjab in-charge, has come into the political circles in his home state after hinting at withdrawing from the race for the chief minister’s post.
After publicly declaring his reluctance to contest the assembly elections early next year, the Thakur leader, speaking at a ‘Parivartan Yatra’ rally on Monday, said he would like to see a Dalit chief minister in Uttarakhand. Dalits constitute about 18 per cent of the total population of the state.
His remarks come as a surprise as he is the tallest Congress leader in the state and was seen as the front-runner for the CM’s post if the party returns to power in the hill state in 2022. Rawat will be 74 next year. April, around the time when Uttarakhand will have a new Chief Minister after the elections.
The ruling BJP had defeated the Congress in 2017 by winning 57 seats in the 70-member assembly. In terms of vote-share, the BJP had a lead of 13 percentage points over the Congress, which rose to 30 in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
The BJP government, however, is facing a strong anti-incumbency wave, showing signs of being on the development front and battling allegations of Covid-19 mismanagement. The party changed two chief ministers this year in a span of four months.
Read also: Congress wants to remove BJP from Uttarakhand in 2022, but can spoil infighting
Rawat raised eyebrows in the home state
After returning from Punjab – where he, as AICC in-charge, was instrumental in replacing Captain Amarinder Singh with a Dalit Sikh as CM – Rawat expressed a similar sentiment at a rally in Haridwar on Monday .
A new history has been created in Punjab. The son of a Dalit mother, who earns her living from cow dung, was made the chief minister by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and state legislators. I pray to the almighty and mother Ganga that such a time comes in my life that I see a Dalit Chief Minister in Uttarakhand too. We will work for it,” he said.
“It is less important what the size of the Dalit electorate is today. More important is how long they have helped the Congress to stay in power.
“If the opportunity comes, we will repay them. I want to assure them that Congress will live up to their expectations.
However, this is not the first time he has raised eyebrows in recent times.
When he created a stir last week before leaving for DelhiThe former CM said that he is not inclined to contest the 2022 assembly elections as it would In circumstances like 2017, when there were allegations that rivals within the party reduced his chances in both the constituencies he was fielded.
“Like Abhimanyu Mahabharata, I can get caught in the web of conspiracies. I will contest elections only if the party high command wants me to do so. “I don’t want any controversy in the party because of me. I did not contest elections in 2002, 2007 and 2012 also. This time I want to act like 2002.
In 2014, Rawat was an MP when he replaced Vijay Bahuguna as the CM. One of his close friends vacated the assembly seat to win the by-election. Rawat, who has won the Lok Sabha elections four times, is a mass leader who has appeals across the state.
However, many Congress leaders in the state are unwilling to take his remarks at face value. He says that while the Congress high command may be inclined to present a young face in Uttarakhand, Rawat is the best bet in the circumstances. Moreover, he says, former chief ministers are not known to open their cards so easily and hence, it is too early to conclude that Rawat is out of the race for the chief minister’s post.
A section of Uttarakhand Congress leaders also agree with Rawat’s conspiracy theory that his election was sabotaged by rivals in the party.
Unwilling to speak on the record, these leaders told ThePrint that a major reason for their defeat in both assembly constituencies in the 2017 elections was due to opponents within the party. Rawat had contested from Haridwar Rural and Kichha assembly constituencies in 2017. He missed Kichha by less than 100 votes, but lost in Haridwar Rural by over 9,000 votes.
Rawat has many enemies in the party. They see him as a major threat to his political career and the main reason behind his suffering. They can go to any extent to defeat him this time,” said a senior PCC vice-president on condition of anonymity.
PCC general secretary Prithvipal Chauhan, however, claimed that the former chief minister was crucial for campaigning.
“If Harish Rawat has said something then he should have his objections. However, it is true that he can be more useful to the party without exhausting himself in a constituency,” Chauhan said.
“We were not even in the count in the 2002 assembly elections, but as PCC chief Harish Rawat played a key role in strengthening the party, leading to a big victory. He did this without a competitor. “
AAP’s progress behind Rawat’s Dalit politics?
Rawat’s sudden focus on Dalits in Uttarakhand is also being seen in the backdrop of the Aam Aadmi Party. growing influence in the state, especially in the plains of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar.
Dalits and Muslims constitute about 50 per cent of the population in both the districts, which has a direct bearing on the 22 seats in the 70-member state assembly.
Even Congressmen agree that it needs to take innovative steps if the party wants to ensure a comeback in 2022.
PCC senior spokesperson Mathura said, “Arvind Kejriwal’s promises like 300 units of free electricity, Rs 5,000 unemployment allowance and one lakh jobs every six months were mainly with the Congress, as the BSP lost its grip after the 2012 elections. had started.” Dutt Joshi.
“Today, these promises may seem unbelievable but must be fought with perseverance. Harish Rawat’s Dalit chief minister is the masterstroke to thwart AAP’s efforts.
Congress leaders also claim that Rawat’s Dalit CM statement on one hand will silence the opponents in the state, while on the other, push the BJP on the defensive as the party is trying to woo Dalit, Adivasi and OBC voters. .
The BJP, which has already declared Pushkar Dhami as its CM face, rejected the suggestions.
“Harish Rawat’s statement of Dalit CM is self-contradictory. They don’t practice what they say. No one other than Rawat himself said in Punjab that his newly appointed Dalit chief minister would not be the face of the upcoming assembly elections.
“This is nothing but a ploy to attract voters and counter AAP, which may eat away Congress votes in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Congress party will forget Dalits soon after the elections.
(Edited by Arun Prashant)
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