Dehradun, 16 Mar: Uttarakhand Congress suffered another setback today when its last time candidate from Lansdowne assembly constituency, Anukriti Gusain too resigned from the primary membership of the Congress party. She is the third leader from Congress in past 24 hours to quit the party in Uttarakhand. It may be recalled that Anukriti Gusain is a former beauty pageant winner (Miss India contest) and a model too besides being daughter-in-law of senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat. In view of this fact, Gusain’s resignation from the party just before the Parliamentary Polls does come as a major surprise for the political observers. Party’s Vice President and Organisational in charge Mathura Dutt Joshi has confirmed the resignation of Gusain from the party.
Joshi claimed that Gusain has cited personal reasons behind her resignation from the party. With her resignation, the speculation has started whether she too like others who quit the party recently before her, will join the BJP or not. Besides being a former model and a politician, she also claims to be a social activist working towards the women empowerment in the hills. At the same time, there is also discussion that she may join BJP. She has been working for a long time towards making the mountain women self-reliant.
It may be recalled that in the year 2022, just before the assembly elections in the state, senior Cabinet Minister and BJP leader Harak Singh Rawat had suddenly quit the BJP and then returned to Congress, his old party. Because of controversies surrounding Rawat then, Congress party had given party ticket to his daughter-in-law Anukriti Gusain and Rawat did not contest the election. However, Rawat had made it clear in no uncertain terms that he is keen to contest Parliamentary Elections on Congress ticket from Haridwar. Haridwar remains the solo seat where there is serious lobbying for the party ticket in Congress. Among those who are lobbying for the party ticket are veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat, his sons Virendra Rawat and Anand Rawat and PCC Chief Karan Mahara himself besides others. The last time candidate Ambrish Kumar had passed away in 2021.
Facing several charges of irregularities as State Forest Minister between 2017 and 2022, securing the party ticket from Haridwar is becoming a major challenge for Harak Singh Rawat. It therefore remains to be seen, if Anukriti Gusain’s resignation is also followed by his resignation too from Congress party.
