Uttarakhand minister Harak Singh Rawat expelled from BJP; likely to rejoin Congress

BJP had expelled him from its party's primary membership for six years for indiscipline

The poaching game between Congress and BJP has intensified in the hill-state Uttarakhand, where the BJP on Monday inducted Mahila Congress president Sarita Arya after expelling its Cabinet minister in the state Harak Singh Rawat, who is likely to join Congress.

Rawat was a former Congressman who had joined the BJP in 2016, rebelling with nine more MLAs against the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat, an event that had triggered chain reaction working in favour of BJP leading to its victory in 2017 Assembly polls.

The expulsion decision announced on Sunday evening clearly came as a shock to Harak Singh, who broke down saying he came to know about the news from social media while he was rushing to meet Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

In his more than three-decades-long career, Harak Singh has been from BSP, Congress and BJP, his longest of 18 years with Congress between 1998 to 2016.

Rawat's exit is advantageous to Congress in case the latter's Chief Ministerial candidate Harish Rawat (both Rawats belong to the dominant Thakur community in the state) wholeheartedly welcomes his once colleague turned critic.

Also read: The season of 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram' politics is back

Perhaps conscious of the dynamics Harak Rawat played safe saying he will work for the victory of Congress if he does not join and that Congress was winning the polls irrespective of whether he joined it or not.

Harish Rawat on his part made a cryptic statement saying Harak Singh has not joined the Congress party yet and the party will take a decision after considering several angles.

However, party sources say that Harak Singh joining the Congress is a finality as his induction will boost the Congress prospects. Harish Rawat also said if Harak Sigh will accept his mistake of leaving the Congress party, then "we're ready to welcome him".

A day after Harak Singh's expulsion for six years from the BJP, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Singh Dhami accused him of mounting pressure for party tickets for his family members. BJP has decided to by and large go by one family one ticket formulae for the state polls on February 14.

"Our policy is absolutely clear. We will not give tickets to two people from the same family. We have decided not to give a ticket to more than one person from a family. Our party has always been against it," Dhami said, alleging that Harak Singh was seeking a party ticket for his family members.

The Chief Minister accusing Harak Singh of doing pressure politics evoked barbs from Congress leaders in Uttarakhand who reminded the BJP leaders that the latter should have given some thought to this in 2016.

Rawat, the forest and labour minister in the Dhami government, had earlier threatened to resign from the Cabinet on the issue of a medical college in Haridwar but BJP insiders said the real issue was ticket.

While Congress was taking time on the issue of Harak Singh's induction, BJP swiftly moved and announced Arya, a former Nainital MLA of Congress joining the saffron party. Interestingly BJP's Sanjeev Arya, who had defeated her from the constituency in the 2017 Assembly polls is now in the Congress and being a sitting MLA is likely to get the ticket from the seat. This would have been a reason why Sarita Arya moved to the BJP.

In January two BJP and one AAP leader (its newly-appointed Working President) had joined the Congress. There has been a strong buzz about former Congress chief Kishor Upadhyay likely to join the BJP. A week after Upadhyay had met some senior BJP leaders, Congress last week removed him from all party posts, accusing him of hobnobbing with the BJP.

Check out latest videos from DH: