Bahuguna to contest from seat vacated by BJP MLA?

Bahuguna last evening left for New Delhi to consult top leaders of Congress whether he can contest from a seat vacated by BJP MLA.

"The chief minister is expected to make an announcement regarding his plan to contest assembly election after June 8 when the vidhan sabha session ends," said Surya Kant Dhasmana, vice president of the state Congress.

The move comes after a couple of BJP MLAs in the hill state expressed their desire to vacate their seat for Bahuguna. On top of the list is Kiran Mandal, a legislator from Sitarganj, who has reportedly told the BJP high command that he was not happy in the party and was taking the step in the larger interest of the people of his constituency

 

Mandal wants permanent resident status for all Bengalis settled in Sitarganj as a quid pro quo for his resignation.

The state assembly has a strength of 70 with Congress bagging 32 seats against BJP's 31 in the recent held assembly elections. All the 7 non-Congress and non-BJP MLAs are supporting the Congress government.

Significantly, Union Minister Harish Rawat is opposed to the idea of a BJP MLA vacating his seat for Bahuguna saying Congress should not follow the "bad precedent" of the saffron party in 2007 when a Congress MLA had vacated the Dhumakot seat for the then chief minister B C Khanduri.

However, a section of Congress leaders are not averse to the idea.

"When a BJP MLA himself wants to quit his seat without any fear or pressure, I see no harm that the chief minister contests from such a seat," said a top Congress leader.

Congress leaders are claiming a couple of more BJP MLAs have expressed similar desire to resign hoping for a "good deal". MORE