DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Congress – which suffered a humiliating defeat in the assembly polls – is still struggling to put up a united face ahead of the urban local body elections.
Many in the Congress camp are concerned as top party leaders, including the former chief minister and current and past state unit presidents, seem to be working on “different lines”, affecting the morale of the party workers ahead of the civic polls due in April 2018.
“Top leaders working parallel to each other is sending an impression of differences in the party, which is the last thing we need ahead of the crucial polls. We can knock out the BJP’s edge if all senior leaders, including the MLAs and organisational leaders come together,” a key party functionary tells HT.
The Congress electoral fortunes received a blow due to internal factionalism during the assembly polls. The party won only 11 assembly seats as against 57 of the BJP. This came after it saw the exit of nine ‘rebel’ leaders who joined the BJP.
Congress state president Pritam Singh denies that there are any differences in the party. “We are like one family and will fight the local body polls as a single entity.” Admitting that the senior leaders were raising issues of late, he says, “They may be raising voice (individually) but they’re doing it on the party’s behalf. We’ll put up a united fight against the BJP in the polls.”
{{/usCountry}}Congress state president Pritam Singh denies that there are any differences in the party. “We are like one family and will fight the local body polls as a single entity.” Admitting that the senior leaders were raising issues of late, he says, “They may be raising voice (individually) but they’re doing it on the party’s behalf. We’ll put up a united fight against the BJP in the polls.”
{{/usCountry}}“We have begun the ground work but will initiate more intense work once the reservation (of seats) situation becomes clear.”
The party is also strongly registering its protest against the ongoing expansion of urban local bodies by merging nearby rural areas in them, he asserts.