The Congress high command is all set to crack the whip and restore order to check growing infighting in the Uttarakhand party unit, party sources said.
In the past one month, senior party leaders like former PCC President Pritam Singh, Dwarahaat MLA Madan Bisht, and a host of other Congress leaders have castigated Devender Yadav, the AICC member in-charge of Congress’ affairs in Uttarakhand, and sought his removal. Yadav’s relations with former Chief Minister Harish Rawat are also not on an even keel. Repeated warnings issued by the party high command have not been headed by these leaders. The public slanging match is becoming embarrassing for the party.
Sensing trouble, early this week the high command sent senior leader P L Punia to Dehradun to assess the situation and report on the reasons behind the infighting. Punia has also been asked to suggest remedial measures.
For nearly three days, Punia remained stationed in Dehradun where he met nearly 500 party leaders and workers. This was the first time that the Congress high command had sent an emissary to check infighting in the hill state. “The high command is serious this time about cracking the whip and restoring order,” a top Congress leader said.
“Punia ji must have submitted his report by now. Let’s wait for the final outcome,” said state party President Karan Mahra, who is trying his best to control the discontent in the state unit.
When Uttarakhand was formed in the year 2000, the Congress party was divided in two key factions — one led by Harish Rawat, and another led by the late N D Tiwari. Since then, infighting in the party has only surged, senior party leaders have admitted.
In 2012, Rawat led a rebellion when Vijay Bahuguna became Chief Minister. Four years later, it was Bahuguna’s turn to turn the tables on the then CM Rawat by breaking away from Congress along with 10 MLAs, which considerably weakened the party in the state. After this revolt, Congress faced the biggest defeat in the hill state as its strength was reduced to a paltry 11 MLAs in the 70-member House. BJP won with a brute majority of 57 seats.
But even after the 2017 assembly election debacle, Congress leaders learnt no lesson and remained busy fighting each other. The result was that the party again lost in the 2022 assembly elections. This was the first time that a political party (BJP) had retained power in the hill state. This time BJP won 47 seats and Congress 19.
Following the 2022 rout, the state Congress appears to have divided into more than 4-5 camps whose leaders keep trying to crush each other, much to the annoyance of the high command. The main camp is headed by former CM Rawat, the tallest party leader in the state, while the others are led by former PCC chiefs Singh and Yashpal Arya, and current President Mahra.
The factions opposed to Mahra are seeking Yadav’s ouster. Bisht has sought the removal of Yadav many times.
“When the high command has changed both the state party president and the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, then why was the party in-charge, Yadav, not removed from his post,” Bisht said.
The faction led by Singh is also peeved with the present state of affairs. “Those who don’t understand the ABC of politics have become our leaders,” said Singh in a jibe aimed at Yadav.
Significantly, most leaders agreed that it was high time that the party focussed on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections instead of airing their grievances in public.
“We welcome any move that will help revive the fortunes of the party in the state,” said state Congress Vice-President Dhirendra Pratap after meeting Punia.
Similar views were expressed by party leader Suryakant Dhasmana, who believed that the infighting was one of the key reasons for his two consecutive defeats from Dehradun Cantonment constituency in 2017 and 2022.
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