Consensus eludes Cong in U'khand

Politicking continues: Party leaders to meet again in Delhi today

The meeting between senior Congress leaders from the Centre and Uttarakhand to decide on new chief minister of the hill state remained inconclusive on Sunday.

Union Minister Harish Rawat and party MP Vijay Bahuguna, both considered to be in the race to head the Congress-led government in the state, had a two-hour meeting with AICC general secretary in-charge for the state Chaudhary Birender Singh and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also party observer for Uttarakhand.

After the meeting that took place at Azad’s residence, Rawat said the leaders discussed various issues related to government formation in the state. “I have put my views to him. We are not only making an attempt to form a government but to run it as well. I had requested him for a meeting because I could not meet Azad when he went to Uttarakhand,” Rawat told reporters.

The meeting took place a day after Azad and Birender Singh submitted a report to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi regarding the views of the party’s 32 legislators as also 2 independent MLAs on the leadership issue. Bahuguna said “our views were sought. It is not about formation of a government but challenges will come after that as well. Our opinion was sought on this. We have given it and we hope that the Congress president will be apprised of our views.” UPCC chief Yashpal Arya is also in the national capital.

A meeting of senior party leaders will take place on Monday again after which the name of the next chief minister if likely to be announced. Sources in the party said the  leader would be an MLA, ruling out the possibility of both Rawat and Bahuguna, who are MPs. Sources said Indira Hridyesh, a Brahmin MLA from Haldwani, is likely to win the race for the top job in the state.