Harish Rawat’s tweets meant to ensure his clout within Congress, says BJP leader

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat said the Congress leader is known to do "pressure politics." However, he added that Harish Rawat's statements also revealed his “pain” towards the Congress.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat said Congress leader Harish Rawat's cryptic messages that seemed to be targeting the party’s top bosses were meant to “ensure his clout” in the grand old party and that the former will “not turn his back” on the upcoming Assembly polls.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister and BJP leader Tirath Singh Rawat said he hoped Congress veteran Harish Rawat can live up to the feelings he expressed today. (Uttarakhand CMO) (File)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said, “Harish Rawat is not going to take any rest. I think he is doing this to ensure his clout in the party. He will not turn his back on elections because they (polls) are a priority for him.”

Stating that Rawat is known for indulging in “pressure politics", the BJP leader said everyone remains in the dark about his actions. “People are aware of his past,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He also spoke about the Congress veteran’s seniority, saying his latest statements show “his pain towards the party”. “I hope he will live up to the feelings he expressed today,” he added.

Further referring to the infighting in the Punjab Congress, which led to Amarinder Singh resigning as the chief minister of the state and leaving the party, Tirath Singh Rawat said the hill leader may have “learned something” from the situation.

He said the Congress infighting in Uttarakhand will only benefit the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections. “The Congress has always been scattered…I don't think it will be easy for Congress to fight the elections like this,” he added.

The BJP leader said Harish Rawat's statements show that there is something happening inside the Congress party with every member trying to pull each other down.

Earlier in the day, the senior Congress leader took to Twitter to post several messages in Hindi, indicating his unhappiness with the party leadership in the state. He also talked about feeling his “hands and feet” being tied up and that he thought of taking rest.

Uttarakhand assembly elections are scheduled next year. In the 2017 polls, BJP won 57 seats, Congress bagged 11, while two seats were won by other candidates.