Harish Rawat missing from hoardings welcoming Cong state in-charge

Former chief minister Harish Rawat is missing from posters welcoming Congress Uttarakhand in-charge Anugrah Narayan Singh on Monday, indicating factionalism in the party state unit

Former chief minister Harish Rawat is missing from hoardings welcoming Congress Uttarakhand in-charge Anugrah Narayan Singh on Monday, indicating factionalism in the party state unit.

A hoarding erected at Rajiv Bhawan in Dehradun on Monday did not have former CM Harish Rawat's photo. (Vinay Santosh Kumar /HT)

Incidentally, differences between Rawat and Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Indira Hriyadesh came out in open after both traded statements against each other on various occasions.

“Differences are still prevailing between Rawat and Hriyadesh,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity. “It was done deliberately to not put his (Rawat) photo on banners and posters. Though he has been elevated to AICC, he remains a strong face of Congress in the state.”

“If differences prevail among top leaders, then how the party with fight BJP,” he said.

Recently, Rawat was appointed as general secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) and made party in-charge of Assam.

Anugrah Narayan Singh was on his first visit to the state capital after taking charge of the state.

Singh is scheduled to meet the party leaders and workers in different party programmes on Tuesday. He is likely to discuss party strategy to take on BJP in civic and next Lok Sabha elections.