Shishir Prashant’s Q&A Session
PrashantNews
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat says with conviction that Congress will bounce back in 2024. He wants to contest from Haridwar again. Here are edited excerpts from a recent interview with Rawat.
Q: What role do you see for yourself in Congress now?
A: After a certain level of seniority, the party decides what role one should play. In 2021, I played a central leader role in the Congress as I was the party general secretary. Later, I was asked to move to Uttarakhand (before 2022 assembly elections) to head the campaign committee of the party. So I quit from the general secretary post. Right now I am a member of the CWC which is an apex body of the party. What role I get in future, it all depends upon the party’s top leadership. I will be happier if I get an opportunity to work for the party in Uttarakhand and some other parts of the country in the election (2024).
Q: I have seen some of your statements which indicate that you are again interested in contesting from Haridwar constituency. What do you say?
A: People of Haridwar have been very kind to me. The time of 2009 was very critical for me. They gave me a thumping victory and sent me to the Lok Sabha. Had I opted to contest from Haridwar in 2019, the contest would have been very tough. I could have been victorious also. This is an assessment of the people of Haridwar. In the 2022 assembly elections also, we could have won at least nine seats in Haridwar. Of course we won five. When I say nine, it is because we just surrender two seats. In other two seats, we committed some mistakes. In fact Haridwar voted for Harish Rawat. This is again a general perception of the people that they voted for Congress because they wanted to see Harish Rawat as chief minister. Again, 2024 is a critical time for all of us. There are two options before me. Either I sit at home and do nothing or I move forward the momentum which was built in 2022 in Haridwar. I would also like to add that whatever role the party may decide, I will accept it.
Q: You have also stated that you will work tirelessly for the party and even if you are on stretcher. What do you say?
A: Yes I have said this. See we lost in some states. My inner voice tells me that even if I am lying on stretcher I should work for the party. This is my commitment. My past, present and future and every bit of mine are for the Congress.
Q: You have said that you gave some suggestions to Rahul Gandhi. Did the high command implement some of your suggestions?
A: See, from time to time, we discuss issues with the high command. We share our views. Among these, the party decides which one to chose and which one to reject. “saar saar ko gahi rahe, thotha de uraye” (retain what is important and let go what is unimportant).
Q: Rahul Gandhi undertook “bharat jodo” yatra with full vigour and enthusiasm which was evident through the unprecedented support he got from the people. But when it came to elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh, the support could not be translated into votes?
A: What about Telangana where he devoted his big time? The answer is before everybody. This is also not correct to say that we didn’t get votes in other three states where we lost. We got nearly 40 percent votes. There are several factors like the booth management, taking voters to the election booths and activism of the local party leaders. This often creates a difference of 3-4 percent which eventually becomes a big winnability factor. So it will be incorrect to say that Rahul Gandhi’s bharat joro yatra did not make any difference. Everybody said Congress is winning in Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and is in contention to win in Rajasthan. But before the start of the Bharat jodo yatra, people were also saying Congress is out. And now Congress is also in the contention of winning 2024 election. This is all because of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. The yatra has changed the whole perception and was a big game changer in the assembly election also.
Q: How do you assess the performance of the BJP government in Uttarakhand?
A: The party (Congress) should assess the performance. I think it should be doing every month. But I must say one thing about the BJP government is that the Dhami government is no 1, 2, 3, 4 in the media management and the event management in the country. Because of this, I tell my party people that the contest is very tough.
Q: But what about the performance of the state government?
A: The ministers (in the Dhami government) don’t have any knowledge about Uttarakhand. They only build dhams (shrines). One minister is interested in making an international airport. They all lack common knowledge about the hill state. Unfortunately, all ministers lack the wisdom of the governance.
Q: You recently organized a sit-in strike on the issues concerning farmers. But the government has not accepted the demands of farmers so far.
A: This government does not understand the language of the opposition. They also don’t have any understanding of the democracy. Nevertheless, we are committed to raise the issues concerning the common man.
Q: What is your take on all those MLAs who left the Congress in 2016.
A: This is a fact that if the conspiracy to bring down my government as well as the split in the party had not taken place, then our party would have come back to power in 2017. But all those people who rejoined Congress should also restore the status quo of 2016. My answer is not related to one person. Ends