Dehradun, Nov 13 (PTI) Having announced that he was not in the race to be the Congress CM face in Uttarakhand, former chief minister Harish Rawat on Friday said that contesting elections is not his personal priority, and that party directions remain paramount to him.
Rawat said that with elections approaching, political parties should incorporate commitments that foster 'Uttarakhandiyat' into their poll manifestos.
On Wednesday, Rawat said that he had no aspiration for the position of chief minister, nor for any other office and that his primary objective was to see a Congress government formed in Uttarakhand in 2027.
“I am not so keen on contesting elections, but whatever the party instructs, I will follow it. We cannot pull ourselves back from a challenge…if the party instructs me…I hope to present a blueprint for the development of Haridwar and Khanpur on the floor of the legislative assembly,” Rawat said on Friday in a social media post.
He said he wished to contest from Haridwar and share how his plans for the region can support development of the whole state.
Rawat, a former CM, also said he is “like an ageing tree, destined to wither sooner or later.”
“My concern, however, lies with the future trajectory of Uttarakhand…Between 2014 and 2017, our government initiated policies and programmes aligned with the vision of Parliament. Following a change in power, all our initiatives—which I term 'Uttarakhandiyat' or the essence of Uttarakhand—were discarded, abandoned, or had their names and forms altered,” the senior Congress leader said.
"I appeal to the people—the ultimate sovereign—to uphold 'Uttarakhandiyat' as your banner; do not let it falter. I have identified individuals who share this vision. 'Uttarakhandiyat' is not merely an idea. It is the core identity of our state and the vision for its future,” he added.
Uttarakhand will go to polls early next year.
