by NEW DELHI: Congress leader and former chief minister Harish Rawat on Saturday said that some course correction in the party is needed to win the upcoming Uttarkhand assembly elections.
He said, “Some course correction is important to win the upcoming elections. AICC is the supreme command. The state in-charge is the coach. The role of playing captain is very important. There should be coordination of confidence among these three. If played for cross-purpose, then we will lose the match. Sometimes expressing pain is also beneficial for the party,” reported ANI.
Rawat on Friday had met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with other leaders from Uttarakhand.
Following the meeting, the Congress veteran said that he would be the face of the party’s election campaign in Uttarakhand.
“Kadam kadam badhaye ja, Congress ke geet gaye ja. [Keep on marching forward, sing praises of the Congress], I will be the face of the election campaign in Uttarakhand. I will lead the campaign as the chairman of the campaign committee and everyone will support me in fulfilling that responsibility,” Rawat had said.
However, Rawat did not directly answer questions on the chief ministerial face of the party in the state.
Rawat met Gandhi two days after making a veiled attack on the Congress leadership over the “lack of cooperation” from the state unit. Rawat through his tweets on Wednesday had expressed anguish at the “factionalism” in the state unit and noted that thought has been crossing his mind that “it is time to rest”.
He said, “Some course correction is important to win the upcoming elections. AICC is the supreme command. The state in-charge is the coach. The role of playing captain is very important. There should be coordination of confidence among these three. If played for cross-purpose, then we will lose the match. Sometimes expressing pain is also beneficial for the party,” reported ANI.
Rawat on Friday had met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with other leaders from Uttarakhand.
Following the meeting, the Congress veteran said that he would be the face of the party’s election campaign in Uttarakhand.
“Kadam kadam badhaye ja, Congress ke geet gaye ja. [Keep on marching forward, sing praises of the Congress], I will be the face of the election campaign in Uttarakhand. I will lead the campaign as the chairman of the campaign committee and everyone will support me in fulfilling that responsibility,” Rawat had said.
However, Rawat did not directly answer questions on the chief ministerial face of the party in the state.
Rawat met Gandhi two days after making a veiled attack on the Congress leadership over the “lack of cooperation” from the state unit. Rawat through his tweets on Wednesday had expressed anguish at the “factionalism” in the state unit and noted that thought has been crossing his mind that “it is time to rest”.
“Is not it strange, one has to swim in the sea in the form of the forthcoming electoral battle, instead of cooperation, the organisational structure at most places is turning its face away or is playing a negative role,” said Rawat in a tweet.
You reap what you sow! All the best for your future endeavours (if there are any) @harishrawatcmuk ji. https://t.co/6QfFkVt8ZO
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) 1640181007000
“There are many crocodiles of the ruling dispensation on whose directions one has to swim. Their nominees are tying my hands and feet,” he added.
Rawat, a member of the Congress Working Committee, is a key Congress troubleshooter and is seen as the party’s face for the elections in Uttarakhand.
(With inputs from ANI)
