Providing a major jolt to ex-Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and his camp, the Congress high command decided to make Chakrata legislator Pritam Singh as the next state Congress president.
The announcement shocked the Rawat camp as Kishore Upadhyay was replaced all of a sudden. Hours after Kishore conducted a press conference in Dehradun on Thursday morning.
The name of three times MLA and senior Congress leader Pritam Singh was in the race for the PCC chief but as even Harish Rawat was eyeing the post people expected the ex-CM to get the post comfortably. Congress MLA and All India Congress Committee’s In-charge (communications), Randeep Surjewala announced the name of Pritam Singh as next PCC chief in New Delhi on Thursday. Besides Rawat none of the member of his group was considered for the post.
Harish Rawat was completely sidelined in the selection process of the state Congress president.
This is the second instance after Uttarakhand assembly poll defeat, in which Congress high command has not paid any attention to recommendations of Rawat.
Earlier the ex-CM wanted his aide Karan Mehra to become leader of the opposition. The Congress top brass decided against it and opted for senior Congress leader Indira Hridayesh.
Congratulating Pritam Singh for the new responsibility, outgoing state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay said, “I am confident Congress will become more strong under Pritam Singh.”
After Congress faced humiliating defeat in the recently concluded State Assembly elections, people were expecting change in party administration in Uttarakhand.
As Harish Rawat lost both the seats, from where he contested state assembly polls, little options existed for this senior Congress leader. In a move to keep himself politically active (read alive), the ex-Chief Minister was said to be targeting the PCC post.
The situation of Kishore Upadhyay was the most miserable of all as on Thursday morning he hosted a press conference in Dehradun. Upadhyay announced launching a symbolic Bandh against violence in Kashmir. Hours after the press conference Kishore was replaced.
Upadhyay was busy conducting review meeting with Congress workers, on the reason for state assembly polls, in different parts of the hill state. In many placed the state Congress president had to face protest and ire of workers.
The protests were linked to the interest of Harish Rawat on state Congress chief post.
Many Congress leader are now claiming that Congress will provide Harish Rawat a suitable post in AICC’s national body.