By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 12 Aug: Just days after PCC Chief Karan Mahara had claimed that the party leaders had been patted on the back by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the party is learnt to have held an important meeting in New Delhi. It is learnt that the Party High Command and the leaders in charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand summoned a high level meeting in Delhi today. PCC Chief Karan Mahara, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya, veteran Congress leader and former CM Harish Rawat and some other senior party leaders attended this meeting. Notwithstanding the pat on the back by Rahul Gandhi, the speculation within the party is that the State party organisation is likely to be overhauled soon by the Party High Command. Some even claimed that PCC could be reconstituted in the state with new office bearers soon. However, there is a possibility that the party high command may like to wait and put the changes on hold till the upcoming Assembly Byelection in Kedarnath. The party leaders are hopeful of putting up a good performance in Kedarnath, a seat that was held by the BJP but fell vacant due to the demise of sitting MLA Shaila Rani Rawat, last month. The optimism is in the wake of the recent performance of the party in recently concluded assembly byelections in Manglaur (Haridwar) and Badrinath (Chamoli).
Speculation within some senior party leaders from the state is that a major reshuffle is possible in the PCC and in district units of the Congress. The present leadership in the state, despite winning the last assembly byelections, is aware of the upcoming challenges in the form of Kedarnath Assembly by-poll and the municipal elections due in October. This will then be followed by Panchayat polls.
Earlier, this meeting held today by Congress party’s state in charge Kumari Selja was due to be held on 8 August, but it was put off. The meeting also discussed the strategy and the candidate for Kedarnath bypoll. Those in the race for the party ticket from Kedarnath include former MLA Manoj Rawat, former Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat and Kunwar Sajwan.
