Garhwal Post Bureau
HALDWANI, 27 Apr: Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal on Monday claimed that several leaders of BJP are in touch with the Congress in Uttarakhand. He also claimed that a list of such leaders has already been submitted to the party high command for its approval. Addressing a press conference at Swaraj Ashram in Haldwani on Monday, Godiyal, however, admitted that none of the 18 names forwarded to the leadership include sitting MLAs, though he asserted that ‘current legislators remain in contact’.
Godiyal, who received a warm welcome from party workers upon his arrival in Haldwani, used the occasion to mount a sharp attack on the Centre over the issue of women’s reservation. He alleged that the Narendra Modi Government is attempting to dilute the intent of women’s empowerment by focusing merely on increasing the number of seats rather than ensuring meaningful representation. He demanded that 33 per cent reservation for women be implemented in the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections across all 70 seats.
Questioning the Centre’s intent, he said that while the Prime Minister raises issues concerning the opposition in his public outreach programmes, the government has avoided addressing substantive concerns on the ground. He indicated that Congress legislators would raise the issue forcefully in the forthcoming special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly and move a proposal pressing for implementation of women’s reservation in the next Assembly elections.
At the same time, the PCC Chief also announced that the party would oppose any censure motion that the state government may bring during the session tomorrow, asserting that Congress MLAs would resist such moves and instead focus on highlighting public issues within the House.
On the issue of party expansion, Godiyal said that out of the 18 persons, whose names have been sent to the central leadership for induction into the Congress, six have already been accommodated in the party. Discussions are ongoing regarding the remaining names, and further inductions would take place following consultations with senior leaders. He reiterated that while no sitting BJP MLA figures in the list, there is continued engagement with leaders across political lines.
Appealing to the public, Godiyal urged the voters to carefully assess the positions of both the BJP and the Congress on the issue of women’s reservation before forming an opinion. He alleged that there is growing discontent among the public against the policies of the ruling dispensation in the state, claiming that people are seeking a credible alternative ahead of the next electoral cycle.
