Harish Rawat not morally fit to be back as CM: Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 22

Aadesh Chauhan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Ranipur-BHEL segment, today sought an explanation from Harish Rawat over the alleged sting operation in which he was caught horse trading dissident Congress legislators.

Chauhan said Harish Rawat was not morally liable for the coveted post because of his involvement in horse-trading of legislators to prove majority in the Assembly post the rebellion by nine Congress MLAs led by former CM Vijay Bahuguna and Rudraprayag legislator Harak Singh Rawat last month.

“How can people accept such a leader who has been caught red-handed saying if rebel legislators return to the party he will shut his eyes on anything they do to amass money. Just for power’s sake, Harish Rawat was ready to allow corruption in his Cabinet and government. Even Harish Rawat’s secretary was caught seeking bribe from the liquor mafia, which was the first major indication of all wrong doings in the Congress-led government. The Quarrying, liquor, and land mafia, property dealers, and close associates of Cabinet ministers and legislators ade merry while development took a back seat in the past three years,” he stated.

Chauhan claimed that all Congress candidates would be whitewashed in the next Assembly elections as people had seen the ill working of Harish Rawat, earlier as the local parliamentarian and now as the Chief Minister.

He said two Congress legislators from Haridwar district— Pradeep Batra (Roorkee) and Kunwar Pranav Champion (Khanpur)—were under the scanner of anti-defection law.

Apart from these two segments, Congress would also lose Piran Kaliyar seat, represented by Furkan Ahmed, as despite being given ministerial berth he had failed to usher in development and was not able to put forth issues of the minority community effectively. Mamta Rakesh won sympathy votes in the by election but as she left the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), her cadre vote had also gone so it won’t be easy for her to win again, he said.

“BJP will emerge victorious in maximum segments of the total 11 in the district. Haridwar parliamentarian seat is represented by BJP’s Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, the Mayor’s seat is represented by Manoj Garg, Haridwar segment Madan Kaushik, rural segment by Swami Yatishwaranand, Jwalapur Chandra Sekhar, Bhattewala Lakshar Sanjay Gupta and Ranipur-BHEL by me. So, there is certainly a pro-BJP wave and despite the legal course of action, public has made its mind to bring back the BJP in the state Assembly also,” Chauhan added.