Contested from Lalkuan unwillingly, questionable decisions should be probed- Rawat
Monday, 14 March 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Congress leader and the head of its state campaign committee, Harish Rawat has raised various questions regarding him being fielded to contest from Lalkuan constituency where he lost in the Assembly elections. Stating that he has taken the responsibility for all the party candidates’ defeat, he said that all have a right to vent their anger on him. Taking to Facebook, Rawat said that party leader Pritam Singh had rightly said that one should not contest the election from a constituency unless one has worked there for five years. “I had repeatedly said that I would campaign in all areas. It was opined in the screening committee meeting that I should contest the election otherwise it would send a wrong message. Hence, I sought to contest from Ramnagar which is not a new area to me as I wanted to contest the election from there in 2017 also. My then adviser had said that he would contest the election only from Ramnagar so I had decided to contest from Kichha. This time too when the party decided to field me from Ramnagar, the person wanting to contest from there was declared the party candidate from Salt and Salt was his natural area where the party governments had done considerable development works.”
Rawat said that the decision to field him from Ramnagar and then from Lalkuan instead was taken by the party. Stating that he wanted to contest from Ramnagar, he said that he had selected his election office and had departed for the constituency when he was informed about the party’s decision to field him from Lalkuan. “Against my wish, I accepted this decision and was told that all had agreed to field me from Lalkuan though I found the situation different on reaching the area. Discussing the situation with my people, I decided not to file nomination on the next day and informed the party in-charge. He told me that I should not do so as it would damage the party’s situation. So, unwillingly I filed my nomination. I only want to say that while agreeing with Pritam Singh, it would be better if the situation in which I had to contest from Lalkuan should be discussed within the party instead of being discussed in public.”
Referring to the issue of the Muslim university, Rawat said that the party should probe who decided to make the person making the alleged demand for Muslim university an office bearer of the party. He said that the person was not politically close to him, adding that all know who favoured this person politically. During the commotion raised by the controversial statement made by this person, who appointed him the party in-charge of Haridwar Rural constituency should also be investigated, added Rawat.
