Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state unit’s media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan told that Rawat has been expelled from the party for six years on the instructions of state party president Madan Kaushik.
Quoting Kaushik, he said that Rawat has been expelled from the primary membership of the party due to indiscipline. He said that indiscipline in the party will not be tolerated at all.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also dismissed Rawat from the Council of Ministers. Now Dhami will have additional charge of all the ministries and departments (forest and environment, labour, employment, skill development and energy) given to Rawat.
BJP leaders allege that Rawat, MLA from Kotdwar assembly seat of Pauri Garhwal district, was demanding ticket from BJP for changing his seat as well as for his daughter-in-law Anukreethy.
It is understood that he was shown the way out amid speculation that he would join the Congress if the BJP did not agree on these issues.
Here, in a conversation with the media in Delhi, Harak Singh Rawat confirmed that he had asked the central leadership of the party to consider giving ticket to his daughter-in-law from Lansdowne. He claimed that the next government in Uttarakhand will be formed by the Congress and he will work for the Congress.
Rawat was earlier in the Congress for several years. He had joined the BJP a few months before the last assembly elections.
Harak Singh Rawat was one of the nine rebel Congress MLAs who joined hands with the BJP in 2016 to topple his own government against the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat. This happened after his frequent requests to give portfolios like PWD and electricity were turned down by the then Chief Minister.
According to the Indian Express report, Rawat was upset over the state government not getting approval for a medical college in the Kotdwar area, from where he is an MLA. On several occasions in the past, Rawat had suggested that he would ensure the construction of a medical college in the area and would go to any extent to complete it.
Assembly elections are going to be held in Uttarakhand in a single phase on February 14.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday claimed that he was pressurizing ticket for himself and his family after former minister Harak Singh Rawat was expelled from the BJP.
According to Dhami, the party has decided that only one person from a family will be given a ticket.
In a discussion with reporters in the capital Delhi, Dhami also said that Rawat had been making the party uncomfortable on several occasions in the past, yet he always tried to take him along.
He said, ‘Our party is a party based on development and nationalism, a party that stays away from dynasty. We are moving ahead with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’.
Dhami said that the party has been uncomfortable many times due to Rawat’s words.
He said, “But still… since we have a big party… we have a big family, we always tried to take him along, but the circumstances had become such… he was pressurizing tickets for his family and others including himself. were making.’
“That’s why the party took this decision (to expel him). We have decided that only one person from a family will be given a ticket. We will not give two or three tickets to any family. Because our party has always been against it.
Here, Congress sources say that the decision to include Harak Singh Rawat in the party can be taken soon. A senior party leader said, “The party has not taken any decision at the moment. But some decision can be taken by noon or evening on Monday.
On the other hand, when asked about this, Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee President Ganesh Godiyal said, ‘There has been no discussion about Harak Singh Rawat at the moment. Whatever decision will be taken next in the party, it will be collective.
According to sources, Harak Singh Rawat has been in constant touch with some Congress leaders for some time and he wants tickets for some of his supporters besides himself.
A Congress source said, “Harak Singh Rawat wants tickets for one or two of his supporting MLAs and daughter-in-law. But the party will take any decision according to the sentiments of the people of Uttarakhand and Congress workers.
In 2012, Rawat lost to Vijay Bahuguna in the race for the chief minister’s post and was inducted into the cabinet.
Reportedly, he won his first assembly election from Pauri in 1991 on a BJP ticket and served as the youngest minister in the Kalyan Singh government in undivided Uttar Pradesh.
Later he joined BSP. Rawat switched to Congress after being denied ticket by BSP in 1998 and was elected as MLA from Lansdowne in 2002 and 2007. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the state from 2007 to 2012.
Recently, exposing possible factionalism in the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand, party MLA Dilip Singh Rawat wrote to Chief Minister Dhami accusing the ministries run by Rawat of neglecting his Lansdowne constituency.
(with input from news agency language)
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