Congress leaders resolve not to support ‘outsider’ in Dhanaulti

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, August 21

Two Congress leaders — Mussoorie Municipal Council president Mamnohan Singh Mall and state Congress vice-president Jot Singh Bisht — have decided to support the candidate that the party fields from Dhanaulti in the 2017 Assembly elections. However, they resolved not to support any outsider (read PDF candidate) or an Independent candidate even if the party decides to do so. Both leaders had fought the last Assembly elections from Dhanaulti (Manmohan Mall on the Congress ticket and Bisht as an Independent candidate) and lost to BJP candidate Mahavir Rangard.

This was decided at a meeting organised at Pantwadi, near Nainbagh, in the Dhanaulti Assembly segment. Congress workers from the nyay panchayat regions in the Assembly seat, namely Shrikot and Myani, attended the meeting chaired by Nainbagh Congress president Jot Singh Rawat.

Mamnmohan Mall had contested the elections from Dhanaulti in 2012 while Jot Singh Bisht rebelled and stood against him and played a spoilsport. Party workers persuaded both leaders to come together and present a united front against the BJP to win the Dhanaulti seat in the 2017 Assembly poll. Mohan Lal Nirala, a Congress leaders from Nainbagh, said the party leaders should work in tandem to ensure victory that had eluded the party for the past 10 years.

Manmohan Mall said they had come here in deference to the wishes of party workers. Mall and Congress workers present at the meeting said they would not support any Independent candidate from Dhanaulti even if the party decides to do so.

The two leaders are wary of Urban Development Minister Pritam Panwar’s plans to contest the election from Dhanaulti seat from the PDF quota, feel political experts. “The PDF has been a close ally of the Congress and under such circumstances, Pritam Panwar should contest from the Yamunotri seat from where he was elected in the last elections. However, all are free to contest from any seat in the state,” said Bisht.