7 Rawat loyalists to take oath soon

Congress has refused to bow to MLAs’ demand for Cabinet berth

Pithoragarh, March 22
Seven Congress MLAs from Almora Parliamentary constituency, who have not taken the oath as legislators, are likely to do so in a day or two as the Congress high command has refused to bow to their demand of Cabinet berths for senior party MLAs from the region, according to Congress party sources.
“We have been given signals to reach Dehradun to take the oath before March 26 as Harish Rawat does not want to create any harassment for the party government in the state,” said a senior MLA from New Delhi.
The newly elected Congress members belonging to the Harish Rawat camp are absent from their Assembly constituencies after being elected and have been lodged at different places in New Delhi.
Out of eight Congress MLAs won from the constituency, MLA Madan Singh Bisht from the Dwarahat seat has taken the oath in the Assembly. Seven belonging to the Harish Rawat camp are still camping in New Delhi to strike a deal before the start of the state Assembly session on March 26.
“All MLAs have been kept in different hotels in New Delhi till a deal to please the Rawat loyalists gets finalised as Harish Rawat has been facing pressure from these MLAs to get them top posts in the government if not Cabinet berth,” said the source.
According to the source, except four MLAs, Mayukh Singh Mahar from Pithoragarh, Narayan Ram from Gangolihat, Manoj Tiwari from Almora and Hemesh Kharkwal from Champawat, other MLAs are following the instructions of Rawat and Almora MP Pradeep Tamta in this connection.
“Out of these senior MLAs, Mayukh Singh Mahar has been offered the deputy chairmanship of the State Planning Commission and Narayan Ram was offered the post of parliamentary secretary attached with the Chief Minister which they have reportedly rejected,” said the source.
“We are not in mood to bring more harassment for the party high command and likely to take the oath before 26,“ said one of the legislators.
According to the sources close to Congress rebel Harish Rawat, the camp is a disappointed as only a few demands have been accepted by the high command.
“The deal is still being negotiated with the senior leaders of the Congress to make the Bahuguna government stable and last for five years," said the sources.
One of the Congress MLAs from Almora Parliamentary constituency has resented that only Almora has been kept out of the Cabinet despite having senior and able Congress members winning from the area.
“It is a sort of inflicting pain on the members, supporting Harish Rawat in his just cause as he has been deceived by the Congress high command second time after 2002, when ND Tiwari was made the Chief Minister despite the election was fought under the leadership of Harish Rawat," said the Congress MLA.
We have been given signals to reach Dehradun to take the oath before March 26 as Harish Rawat does not want to create any harassment for the party government in the state. — A senior MLA from New Delhi
All MLAs have been kept in different hotels in New Delhi till a deal to please the Rawat loyalists gets finalised. Harish Rawat has been facing pressure from these MLAs to get them top posts in the government, if not Cabinet berth. — Sources