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Will N.D. Tiwari stay?

C.K. Chandramohan

DEHRA DUN: A question on the minds of almost every politician, bureaucrat and common man here is whether Narayan Dutt Tiwari will step down as Uttaranchal Chief Minister after the budget session of the State Assembly beginning on Wednesday or was his recent public announcement to quit yet another move to silence his detractors within the ruling Congress party. Senior party leaders in Delhi deny having received any request from the aging leader to be relieved of the post. "He is doing fine and will continue to remain Chief Minister even after the Assembly elections due early next year because we are bound to return to power," Health Minister Tilak Raj Behad told media persons here on Tuesday.

Mr. Behad was reacting to serious charges of corruption and financial mismanagement levelled at the Tiwari Government by the Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary and former Finance Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal `Nishank'.

"The BJP has joined hands with forces that were against the very formation of Uttaranchal and the people are happy with the pace of development ushered in by the Congress Government and will never vote for the saffron party," he said.

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Will N.D. Tiwari stay?

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