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Uttrakhand : Congress denies tickets to all chief-ministerial aspirants |
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The Congress which has announced the names of its candidates for most of the 70 seats of the Uttrakhand Assembly for the elections to be held next month, has left out Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari and hopefuls Harish Rawat, Satpal Maharaj and Vijay Bahuguna. This is said to have been done to prevent intense competition for the Chief Minister’s chair, which the party fears, may have hampered its election campaign. While N.D. Tiwari has expressed reluctance to be a candidate in view of his old age, the others were said to be angling for the top job in the state.
Observers say that despite several statements in the past by Tiwari about his age, he had never said anything regarding his intention to retire from politics. He has been looking for a place at the national level or a gubernatorial position for the past three years without much success.
According to Congress sources, if the party returns to power, he would be a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s post in case he was not “adjusted” at the Centre. Otherwise, he would play a crucial role in securing the top job for one of his favourites.
Tiwari underwent a cataract operation earlier this month in New Delhi and would not be available for the campaign. In his absence, Rawat would spearhead the election campaign.
The party has reposed faith in all sitting Congress legislators, including independents and those from other parties who joined the Congress. A dozen new faces have also been given party tickets.
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