Ahead of the Uttarkhand Assembly polls, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday said that some course correction in the party is important to win the upcoming elections. Days after making a veiled attack on the Congress leadership ahead of assembly polls in Uttarakhand, Rawat today said that sometimes expressing pain proves to be beneficial for the party.
Speaking to ANI, Rawat said, "Some course correction is important to win upcoming elections. AICC is the supreme command. The state in charge is the coach. The role of playing captain is very important. There should be coordination of confidence among these three. If played for cross-purpose, then we will lose the match. Sometimes expressing pain is also beneficial for the party."
Rawat on Friday met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with some other leaders from Uttarakhand. Following the meeting, the Congress veteran said that he will be the face of the party's election campaign in Uttarakhand.
"Kadam, kadam badhaye ja, Congress ke geet gaye ja.(Keep on marching forward, sing praises of the Congress), I will be the face of the election campaign in Uttarakhand. I will lead the campaign as the chairman of the campaign committee and everyone will support me in fulfilling that responsibility," Rawat told reporters.
However, Rawat did not directly answer questions about the chief ministerial face of the party in the state. Rawat met Gandhi two days after making a veiled attack on the Congress leadership ahead of assembly polls in Uttarakhand over the "lack of cooperation" from the state unit.
Rawat through his tweets on Wednesday had expressed anguish at the factionalism in the state unit and noted that thought has been crossing his mind that "it is time to rest".
"Is not it strange, one has to swim in the sea in the form of the forthcoming electoral battle, instead of cooperation, the organisational structure at most places is turning its face away or is playing a negative role," said Rawat in a tweet.
"There are many crocodiles of the ruling dispensation. On whose directions one has to swim, their nominees are tying my hands and feet," he added.
Rawat, a member of the Congress Working Committee, is a key Congress troubleshooter and is seen as the party's face for the elections in Uttarakhand. The Congress is keen to come back to power in Uttarakhand in assembly polls early next year.
Rawat is apparently keen to be projected as the chief ministerial candidate in the state. However, party leaders have so far said that the polls will be held under "collective leadership". Assembly polls in Uttarakhand are due for early next year.
(With ANI inputs)
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