Dehradun (Uttarakhand): Will Priyanka Gandhi Vadra throw her hat in the ring from Hardwar in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections? With the all-important Parliamentary Elections knocking on the doors, it is time for all stakeholders to pull up their socks.
For the Congress party, it is yet another acid test to boost up the sagging morale of the rank and file. Uttarakhand is no exception as the Congress has an uphill task to recharge its batteries.
The cynosure is Haridwar where party workers want Vadra to contest. For the party, Uttarakhand has been a damp squib in the previous two Lok Sabha elections drawing a blank. In a desperate bid for a reincarnation, the Congress party is in no mood to leave any room for complaints. Regular meetings are held to discuss the party strategy.
The abysmal shows in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have sent alarming signals all over. In a meeting of the District Congress Committee Presidents, a proposal was prepared to reqest the party High Command to choose Vadra as the candidate.
As per the proposal, among the five seats in the state, Haridwar is important in terms of the number of rural voters. Even in the 2022 assembly elections, Congress had performed well on all the seats of Haridwar. Keeping this in mind, a popular face as candidate will provide firepower.
District President of Congress in Haridwar, Satpal Brahmachari says that Congress does not have a prominent female face in Uttarakhand. In such a situation, if Vadra contests from Haridwar, it will have an impact on all the five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand. Not only that, a good outing in Haridwar will have an impact on Himachal Pradesh and Western UP. Vadra has an endorsement from the party rank and file in the state as a proposal has been sent to state President Karan Mahara.
Mahara has forwarded the request to the high command and is awaiting an answer. Mahara is confident that Congress will be a force to reckon with in Haridwar. Former CM Harish Rawat when asked about Vadra, said, "The High Command sitting in Delhi will decide who will contest from where."
Interestingly, Rawat, though not candidly, has staked his claim from Haridwar Lok Sabha seat. Another powerful Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat too is in the running. There are 14 assembly seats in Haridwar district, out of which Congress MLAs are on five. Seeing this victory, Congress is considering its claim on the basis of a strong presence of minorities and Dalits in Haridwar.
Senior journalist Jai Singh Rawat, an expert in the politics of Uttarakhand, says, "Congress feels Vadra's presence will be a shot in the arm in the Hindi belt. She has a credible image which can work in the party's favour in Uttarakhand and Western UP."
Read More
