Governor's post likely for Tiwari

As Dehra Dun became a cauldron of competing interests with Uttaranchal Chief Minister ND Tiwari announcing he was stepping down, the race for posts in Delhi was no less frenzied as Congressmen interpreted this as a signal that a reshuffle of governors was round the corner.

Top Congressmen said Tiwari had been asked to resign by the high command, which wanted him to take over as the governor of Andhra Pradesh.

The replacement of Gen SK Sinha (retd) as governor of Jammu and Kashmir and TN Chaturvedi in Karnataka is due. MM Jacob has served in Meghalaya for over a decade and SM Krishna is tipped to return to active Karnataka politics after quitting the Maharashtra governorship.

Meanwhile, several leaders have thrown their hats into the ring for the chief ministership of Uttaranchal.

PCC Chief Harish Rawat, Information Minister Indira Hridayesh, Satpal Maharaj and Speaker Yashpal Arya were declared by their respective supporters as the best candidate to succeed Tiwari.

However, in the absence of any signals from the high command, senior leader Motilal Vora, in charge of party affairs in Uttaranchal, told reporters in Almora that "the next elections will be fought under the leadership of Tiwari".

Rawat, a known detractor of Tiwari, said since Tiwari had created the controversy, only he could end it.

"We are fully backing Tiwari but I fail to understand why he has taken such a step," he said. Kishore Upadhaya, an MLA from Tehri, said, "If he wants to quit, the gigh command must respect his sentiments."

Hridayesh said Tiwari should continue as chief minister.