‘People to decide whether I or Rohit should contest’ 

Congress veteran N D Tiwari, who is currently on a 10-day tour to Nainital Parliamentary constituency along with his recently acknowledged son Rohit Shekhar, on Saturday said his visit is meant to find out if people want him or his son to contest from the seat.

“It is people of the area who will decide whether me or my son should contest the Lok Sabha election from the seat, I will be able to say anything only after knowing the public view,” the former UP and Uttarakhand CM who began his 10-day feedback visit of the constituency on Friday told reporters.

Tiwari said he merely wants the region to progress and it does not matter if he or his son Rohit is given Congress ticket from the seat.

However, in the same breath he added, “I want to promote Rohit Shekhar from the seat as he is a well qualified youth who is a graduate and also holds a degree in law from the Delhi University.”

Expressing his concern over last year’s disaster victims, the octogenarian leader said he wanted everyone to come forward and help in advancing the Himalayan region.Noting that the Himalayan region has a huge potential for power generation, he said the asset needs to be exploited fully for its development.

Asked whether the “Modi wave” as claimed by the BJP will have an effect on the Lok Sabha elections, Tiwari quipped, “There are some more waves which are to enter the  poll arena this time. People who think they have learnt much in politics, sometimes prove to be a bit immature.”

Rohit Shekhar, whom Tiwari recently acknowledged as a his biological son after a prolonged legal battle, said he wanted that his father be given a party ticket from the seat as he was an eminent freedom fighter and had served people of the region well during his tenures as the Chief Minister of both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

“If the people of this Parliamentary seat agree to my father’s suggestion that I should be fielded from the seat, I will contest with his blessings,” said Rohit.