'Divided' Over The Return Of Harak Singh Rawat, Congress In Uttarakhand May Go With What The Central Leadership Decides: Reports

Expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party and dismissed from the cabinet, senior leader Harak Singh Rawat is set to return to the Congress. However, the possibility of his return to the Congress "has divided the party’s state unit", sections of the media have reported.

This report mentions that Harak Singh Rawat has kept no conditions for joining the Congress. It also mentions that the MLA from Kotdwar will get an entry into Congress on the condition of not contesting (the upcoming assembly election). His daughter-in-law is expected to join the Congress, reports say.

Harak Singh Rawat has reportedly said that he is ready to apologise to former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat for rebelling against his government in 2016.

Harak Singh Rawat, along with other senior leaders from the Congress had rebelled against the Harish Rawat government and had walked out from Congress to join the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The exit happened ahead of the 2017 assembly election in the hill state and it affected the Congress.

The BJP had stormed to power in the state to form a government with Trivendra Singh Rawat as the chief minister. Harak Singh Rawat was elected and made it to the cabinet.

Senior leader of Congress in Uttarakhand Pritam Singh and AICC in-charge in Uttarakhand Devendra Yadav are in favour of Harak Rawat's reinduction to their party, a report mentions.

While Harish Rawat is understood to "not have forgiven" Harak Singh Rawat for destabilising the Congress government in 2016, the leader expelled from the BJP is all set to join Congress and has made visits to Delhi for talks with the central leadership of the Congress.

Keeping himself at the helm of the campaign committee, senior leader in the Congress and former chief minister Harish Rawat is said to be opposed to the return of Harak Singh Rawat, but he may not "push" his opinion beyond a point.

The Congress’ central and state leadership "is pushing for it", the Indian Express report mentions.