RS nomination: Rawat meets Cong high command, defuses crisis

Locked in a face-off with key ally PDF and a section of his Congress party over nomination for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Harish Rawat today indicated the row has been resolved and asserted there will be only one nominee from Congress and PDF which together run the state government.
Asked whether the political storm over the Rajya Sabha nomination was over, Rawat, who met the party high command here, said, "It was never there. We are very disciplined soldiers. We always abide by the decision of the high command. But there may be certain issues, which we take up with the high command or people who matter."

Upset over "not being taken into confidence" by the Congress, ally PDF with six members in Assembly named state minister Dinesh Dhanai as its candidate for election to the Upper House after Congress decided to field former Almora MP Pradeep Tamta.
Besides, a senior Congress minister in the state, Yashpal Arya who had raised a banner revolt during the recent political crisis in Uttarakhand, has reportedly threatened to resign from the Cabinet and the party if the decision to nominate Tamta was not revoked.
Rawat, who was here to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also had a separate meeting with Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, to defuse the situation.

Downplaying a contention that ally PDF, which rescued is government during the recent floor test, is angry over announcement of Tamta's name and Congress not considering the PDF demand for a Rajya Sabha seat, the Chief Minister said, "There is no question of anger. Congress and PDF are one. The government that is there is of both of us. We call it Congress -PDF government."

"They have supported us and their support remains. They wanted that PDF candidate should get support this time. If for some reasons, it does not happen even then we have full faith that they will support our joint candidate," he said.

Rawat insisted that there will be one candidate of Congress and PDF. "There will be only one candidate. That much I can say," he said replying to questions.
Replying to a question on whether there could be reconsideration on Tamta's name, Rawat put the ball in the court of the high command, saying it is for the AICC President to decide on that issue.
"I cannot say anything on it," he said when asked if there is any such possibility.