Congress MLAs skip ‘unlisted’ swearing-in ceremony

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 28

Several Congress MLAs did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the two ministers who were inducted as part of the much-awaited Cabinet expansion here today.

Senior Congress MLAs Ganesh Godiyal, Hira Singh Bisht and newly elected MLA Mamta Rakesh, whose names were also doing the rounds as probable candidates, did not attend the ceremony.

At the close of the ceremony, Congress MLAs Lalit Faraswan and Raj Kumar made a token appearance and then disappeared in the crowd. However, state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay, who had been demanding a Cabinet expansion, attended the ceremony.

Though for quite some time, the rumour mills in the state capital had been agog about a Cabinet expansion and the likely ministers but when the day finally dawned today, it was enveloped in secrecy.

So much so that the Chief Minister’s daily programme schedule did not list the swearing-in ceremony as one of his engagements today.

“I think the invitations were delivered late at night, I saw the invitation letter only in the morning delivered outside my room at the MLA hostel,” said Faraswan.

Significantly, the reply did not have resonance with other MLAs, giving rise to speculation of a simmering discontent among the MLAs.

“I am disappointed after all I figure among senior MLAs but I was kept out,” said Hira Singh Bisht, on telephone.

However, the MLAs absence did not fail to curb the enthusiasm of the Chief Minister nor the newly inducted ministers. “My Cabinet will gain from the experience of the two newly inducted ministers. We have to work hard to fulfill the aspirations of our people,” the Chief Minister said.

He also rejected claims that the MLAs from Haridwar district were feeling the pinch of being left out.

Significantly, senior Congress leader Nav Prabhat said the Congress was one and rejected claims of getting very few months to deliver as the elections were almost there.

“I think we have to deliver fast and my strategy would be of a 100-m sprinter rather than a marathon runner. I am sure we will deliver,” he said.

On the other hand, MLA Rajinder Bhandari, who arrived with his family members in tow, could not hide his happiness with his elevation. “ I am thankful to the party and the Chief Minister for reposing faith in me. My task will be of healing the wounds of the families, who have been at the receiving end of the nature’s fury. I will focus on the areas that were affected by the past and recent disasters in Chamoli and Rudraprayag,” he said.