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Rawat's reappointment sends a clear message

C. K. Chandramohan

DEHRA DUN: The Congress high command seems to have scotched all speculation about a change of guard in Uttaranchal by reappointing the PCC president, Harish Rawat, for a second term.

A known Tiwari-baiter, Mr. Rawat had been openly expressing his unwillingness to be the State party chief for a second term and was lobbying for Chief Ministership here or a ministerial berth at the Centre. The party high command, which was sore at his loyalists blocking nearly the entire Budget Session of the Uttaranchal Vidhan Sabha recently, has clearly directed Mr. Rawat to channelise his energies to once again steer the party to power in the elections due in early 2007, a senior leader said.

A good organiser, Mr. Rawat will have to put in extra efforts to stage a grand show in the run-up to the next elections as the party will have the anti-incumbency factor to be addressed this time, according to seasoned observers at Congress Bhavan here.

In another move to attract the Dalit voters, the party has named Shanti Jwantha as president of the Uttaranchal Mahila Congress. Wife of the late Barfia Lal Jwantha who was a Minister in the Mulayam Singh Yadav Cabinet in the early 1990s, Ms. Shanti had unsuccessfully contested the election for the Uttarkashi Assembly seat on Congress ticket in the last elections. Earlier, she had been active in the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Her appointment is, however, resented by many in the Mahila Congress as she was a newcomer and not a member of the women's wing.

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Rawat's reappointment sends a clear message

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