Lobbying on for Uttaranchal CM

Ten days after Chief Minister ND Tiwari announced his decision to resign, the race for his successor has hotted up in Uttaranchal.

Several senior Congress leaders have launched intense lobbying to capture the top post in the state, party sources said. On March 4, Tiwari publicly announced that he had decided to relinquish chief ministership citing his old age.

This took his supporters as well as detractors by surprise as it has come virtually on the eve of Assembly elections that are due at the end of this year. As a result, behind-the-scenes politics has taken an interesting twist.

Pradesh Congress Committee President Harish Rawat, Information Minister Indira Hridayesh, Tourism Minister Lt Gen (retd) TPS Rawat and Speaker Yash Pal Arya are among several leaders whose names are doing the rounds.

Even as Tiwari prepares himself to present the budget on March 22, the political atmosphere looks hazy. Tiwari has made it clear that he would present the Budget himself.

On the other hand, senior Congress leader Moti Lal Vora, who is in charge of Congress affairs in the state, has said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi will decide Tiwari's political fate.

Most of the leaders in the state refrained from making direct comments. Rawat, a known detractor of Tiwari, said Tiwari must have made the announcement after giving a careful thought. There were clear divisions within the party on whether Tiwari should continue as the chief minister or not.

"If Tiwari wants to quit, then the party high command must respect his sentiments," said Kishor Upadhaya, an MLA from Tehri. Panchayati Raj Minister Pritam Singh, who was involved in a verbal spat with Tiwari during a Cabinet meeting early this month, said any decision by the party high command would be acceptable to him.

Meanwhile, Tiwari has also evinced his interest in the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Uttaranchal, which is falling vacant in the wake of BJP leader Sushma Swaraj completing her term.

Along with Tiwari, Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani and journalist-turned-politician Rajiv Shukla are also in the race. The source said the decision on the political future of Tiwari would be taken after the Rajya Sabha polls.