Tamta files papers as Dhanai blinks

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 31

Joint party candidate of the Congress and its ally partner Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) Pradeep Tamta filed his nomination papers for the lone Rajya Sabha seat at the Assembly building here today. Two BJP leaders, Anil Goyal and Geeta Thakur, also entered the fray as independent candidates.

The Rajya Sabha seat will fall vacant in July after the retirement of MP Tarun Vijay.

Accompanied by senior leaders and Cabinet ministers and Congress party central observer Mukul Wasnik, Tamta filed four sets of nomination papers. Ten MLAs proposed his name, including PDF and Congress MLAs.

Today was the last day for filing the nominations. The scrutiny of the papers will take place on June 1 and June 3 is the last date for the withdrawal of nominations and, if required, elections will be held on June 11.

Yesterday, the Congress leadership had managed to pacify Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya, who was unhappy for being sidelined for the Rajya Sabha seat.

Tourism Minister from the PDF Dinesh Dhanai too decided to extend his support to Tamta and gave up his claim for the seat.

Making a case for Tamta, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said: “The Congress will benefit from Tamta’s active role in the Rajya Sabha. He is a grassroot leader and will do the state proud.”

It is believed that both threat and fear of isolation, after other PDF members refused to extend him the support, played a role in bringing the minister around.

However, efforts by the BJP to field two leaders as independent candidates for the Rajya Sabha seat invited derision in the Congress.

“This move is unprecedented in the history of Uttarakhand politics. It is a blow to the established norms and after indulging in horse trading, they are sneaking their candidates in the garb of independents. A political party cannot have two different positions,” said Rawat.

Incidentally, both Congress and BJP made inordinate delay in filing the nomination papers. But as Congress leaders along with their candidate reached the office of the Secretary, Vidhan Sabha, BJP senior leaders Ajay Bhatt and Madan Kaushik with their candidate too gatecrashed, only to be told to come later on.