Internecine war amongst Uttarakhand Congress gets, bitter and shriller as state Congress chief ask rebel Pithoragarh legislator to resign

Internecine war amongst Uttarakhand Congress gets, bitter and shriller as state Congress chief ask rebel Pithoragarh legislator to resign

B.D.Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Jan 13

The infighting within the Uttarakhand Congress particularly in the border district of Pithoragarh has become bitter and shriller as the official party candidates faces a candidate put up by the Pithoragarh Congress legislator Mayukh Mahar for the mayoral seat of Pithoragarh city.

The infighting and war of words between Congress leaders had started since local Congress legislator Mayukh Mahar openly challenged the party nominee and put up his close relative for Mayor post. He also publicly declared that official Congress candidate should not use his name or photograph during the civic election. This situation put the entire Uttarakhand Congress leadership in a fix. While, there were demand to take action against the open rebellion by the party legislator, Uttarakhand Congress has passed the buck to the party’s central leadership arguing that any disciplinary action against a party legislator should be from central leadership.

However, a statement by Uttarakhand Congress chief Karan Mahra has again reignited the issue. During his election rally in Pithoragarh in support of official party candidate Anju Lunthi, Karan Mahra dared Mayukh Mahar to resign from Congress party.

“If he (Mayukh Mahar) is out to defeat Congress party, he should first resign from Congress party,” Mahra said at a public meeting addressed by him on January 12 in Pithoragarh.

A total of 8 candidates are on fray for the post of Mayor besides Congress candidate Anju Lunthi and rebel Congress candidate Monika Mahar fielded by Congress MLA.

Defending the party  decision to give Congress ticket to Anju Lunthi in place of Monika Mahar, the candidate suggested by party MLA, Mayukh Mahar,

Mahra has said that Anju Lunthi is a fighter and has stooed by the party and fought the bye-election of 2019 when Mayukh Mahar had fled the electoral field.

“The party has decided in favor of a faithful candidate,” claimed Mahra. The state Congress chief even named Mayukh Mahar as ‘Ranchor’( a person who fled the battlefield),’ for his refusal to contest the 2019 byelection on Congress ticket.

Responding to the allegations Mayukh Mahar said “It was Lord Krishna or ‘Ranchor’, who tactfully killed Kal Yawana, through Muchukund Rishi, diplomatically, despite being named as ‘Ranchor’,” said Mayukh Mahar.

Mayukh Mahar had insisted that he will ensure victory of his close relative Monika Mahar ,an independent candidate by becoming ‘Sarathi’(charioteer), like Lord Krishna during in Mahabharata war.

Meanwhile, Bharatiy Janata Party (BJP) has asked its rebel candidate Chandrakala Mahar, not to use name of late Prakash Pant, a former BJP Minister in her posters to attract voters. “it is morally wrong to use name of later party leader if you have rebelled against party candidate,” said Chandra Pant, wife of former BJP MLA and minister late Prakash Pant.