A day after union minister Harish Rawat showed some signs of reconciliation, the Congress again plunged into a political crisis in Uttarakhand on Thursday when 17 of its 32 legislators abstained from taking oath.
Rebel Rawat may get Union Cabinet berth, sops for his supporters too.
Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports.
Factional feud in Congress over the chief ministerial candidate in Uttarakhand today deepened with senior party leader Harak Singh Rawat favouring sulking Union Minister Harish Rawat, saying he would chalk out a new strategy.
Unfazed by the revolt by Union minister Harish Rawat, Congress high command today ruled out any re-think over the issue of chief ministership in Uttarakhand declaring that party MP Vijay Bahuguna will take oath as the new chief minister today as scheduled.
Doors open for all possibilities: BJP
In a heartening development for the Congress in Uttarakhand, the three MLAs of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have offered “unconditional support” to help the party form the next government in the state.
Suspense continued today over who would lead the Congress-led government in Uttarakhand, with top leaders from the state and the centre huddled up in the national capital to decide on the new chief minister.
With many claimants stalling the choice of chief ministership in Uttarakhand, the ball was today back in the court of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi to take a call as the party observers wrapped up their consultations with Congress and independent MLAs on the leadership issue.
The Congress, which has one seat more than the BJP in Uttarakhand, has staked claim to form the next government.
Uttarakhand chief minister BC Khanduri, who bit the dust in the state assembly election, on Wednesday resigned from the post.
Newly elected Congress legislators in Uttarakhand on Wednesday passed a resolution requesting party president Sonia Gandhi to appoint leader of the legislative party.
Despite falling short of majority, ruling BJP in Uttarakhand on Wednesday began efforts to form a government with its senior leaders trying to establish contact with independent MLAs and the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD).
After a neck to neck battle in Uttarakhand, both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party claim they will form the next government in the hill state. The Congress and the BJP are banking on the support of three Independents, all of whom have a Congress background.