Even as the Congress party in Punjab continues to face trouble with former senior leader Captain Amarinder Singh about to launch a new party, AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat has expressed his desire to resign from the post. Rawat on Wednesday said that he will request central leadership of the party to relieve him from the responsibility of Punjab, so that he could focus on the assembly election in his home state Uttarakhand. In less than two months, this is for the second time when Harish Rawat expressed his desire to give up the responsibility.
It is likely that Harish Rawat’s departure from Punjab is just awaiting a formal announcement as the central leadership of the party is looking for his replacement. Rajasthan minister Harish Chaudhary may be picked up as in-charge of Punjab in place of Harish Rawat.
Harish Rawat announced his give-up intention in a longish Facebook post and the same he shared on his Twitter handle too.
Harish Rawat who served as chief minister of Uttarakhand said that he was caught between his Janmabhumi Uttrakhand and Karmabhumi Punjab and he was unable to serve any of them properly. Both the states will go for the poll next year.
“Today I have just come out of a Catch-22 situation. On one hand I have my responsibility towards my Janmabhumi and on the other I have to serve my Karmabhumi Punjab. But things are getting complicated day by day. As the election period will come close I will have to devote full time to both the states. Yesterday an unseasonal rain brought destruction in Uttrakhand. I wanted to visit all the places to wipe every tear from every eye. But I could visit only a few places. But my duty expects something else from me. I can do justice with my Karmabhumi only if I do justice with my Janmabhumi. I am thankful to Punjab Congress and people for Punjab blessing and extending moral support to me. I have a deep and emotional attachment with Punjab, the land of saints and Gurus, Nanak Dev ji and Guru Govind Singh ji. I have decided to request central leadership to relieve me from the responsibility of Punjab so that I focus on Uttrakhand,” his post reads.
मैं आज एक बड़ी उपापोह से उबर पाया हूंँ। एक तरफ #जन्मभूमि के लिए मेरा कर्तव्य है और दूसरी तरफ कर्म भूमि पंजाब के लिए मेरी सेवाएं हैं, स्थितियां जटिलत्तर होती जा रही हैं। क्योंकि ज्यौं-जयौं चुनाव आएंगे, दोनों जगह व्यक्ति को पूर्ण समय देना पड़ेगा।
— Harish Rawat (@harishrawatcmuk) October 20, 2021
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Harish Rawat also met senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Wednesday. He told the media that he met Rahul Gandhi to discuss the issues of Uttarakhand.
Harish Rawat wants to get rid of Punjab after he and the central leadership of the party messed up badly. In July the interim president of the Congress Sonia Gandhi had appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as Punjab Congress president. And, within two months Captain Amarinder Singh was humiliated and forced to resign as Chief Minister of Punjab. Charanjit Singh Channi was appointed as chief minister. Sidhu, Channi and other senior leaders continued washing their dirty linen in public. Sidhu resigned from the post of president and took it back later on. Harish Rawat on one occasion was forced to ask Sidhu to discipline his advisors who had made irresponsible statements on a few occasions. These things have weakened the Congress party where the return to power looks difficult.
Harish Rawat must have assessed that Punjab is a difficult case for the party and it will not be wise to invest much time and energy here. Hence, he wants to focus on Uttarakhand, his native state.
