New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said that it hopes to control dissent in the Uttarakhand unit soon, after a section of state leaders expressed their displeasure over the new team. Comprising Karan Mahara as state unit chief, Yashpal Arya as CLP leader and Bhuwan Kapri as deputy CLP leader, the new team was announced two days ago by party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Congress had lost the recently concluded Assembly polls to the BJP. On Tuesday, a section of the MLAs questioned the decision and dropped hints that they may switch sides with the BJP if their issues were not addressed. Notably, former CLP leader Pritam Singh, lawmaker Rajendra Bhandari and former state unit chief Ganesh Godiyal were miffed as they did not find a place in the new team despite seniority. Another group of leaders was upset as the Garhwal region had been neglected given that Mahara, Arya and Kapri all belong to the Kumaon region.
The new appointments said sources were done to balance caste equations, Mahara is a Thakur, Arya a Dalit and Kapri a Brahmin. Party leaders at the central level said they were in touch with the dissenting lawmakers and the situation would be normalized in a few days. Responding to the fresh dissenting voices, AICC Secretary in charge of Uttarakhand Rajesh Dharmani told ETV Bharat “The decision of a new team was taken after due consultations with all the state leaders. Everyone had claims and the party listened to all but a post can only be given to one person.”
The issue of fresh dissent, said Dharmani, was being blown out of proportion. “Things are normal. The infighting is only in the media,” he said. AICC Secretary in charge of organization, Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin said: “We are in touch with the state leaders. The situation will become normal in a few days.” According to Nizamuddin, an AICC team comprising state in charge Devender Yadav and senior leader Avinash Pandey earlier had detailed consultations with the various party leaders and lawmakers.
“We are a democratic party. Such voices are expected after any change is brought about,” he said. Qazi also said that Pritam Singh was a senior leader and had always led the party. “If he has an issue, it would be resolved,” he said. Party leaders said the dissenters also know that once a decision over key posts had been made, it would not be reversed. The efforts were on, they said, to unite the state unit and take on the BJP, which too was grappling with the issue of infighting.
