After facing a terrible fate in the Lok Sabha elections, Uttarakhand Congress has strengthened efforts to bring two expelled BSP MLAs into its fold.
Having lost all five seats to BJP, Congress is surviving on a thin majority with 33 legislators in the 70-member assembly. Seven MLAs, including the two expelled from BSP, one BSP MLA, three Independents and one from UKD, are extending outside support to Uttarakhand government.
A senior Congressman said Haridas and Surendra Rakesh, two legislators from Jhabreda and Bhagwanpur assembly seats in Haridwar district have started the procedure to float their own party and were planning to merge it with the Congress within two or three days.
Sources said that once this new party teams up with the Congress, its tally will increase from 33 to 35, which will be close to that of the majority mark of 36 in the 70-member state assembly.
"After their expulsion from BSP's primary membership, Haridas and Surendra Rakesh are absolutely free to form their own party and merge it either with Congress or any other party," he said.
Whereas, BJP's tally has reduced from 30 to 28 in the state assembly after Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' and Ajay Tamta, the two sitting MLAs, won the general elections from Haridwar and Almora Lok Sabha seats.
Uttarakhand Congress chief Yashpal Arya claimed that the two were working to merge their party with Congress ever since they snapped ties from BSP to avoid coming under anti-defection laws.
The CM said, "If the two MLAs are keen to merge their own party into Congress to increase Congress's tally in the state assembly, we will gladly welcome them."
Haridas and Rakesh could not be contacted, but a senior BSP leader close to them confirmed that they had plans to merge their party with Congress. "As soon as certain formalities to float their party are completed, these two MLAs will merge their party with Congress," he said.
Rawat also affected a minor reshuffle on Sunday in his 11-member cabinet, giving significant portfolios to some senior members like Indira Hirdesh and Preetam Singh Pawar. While Hirdesh is a Congress MLA from Haldwani, Preetam Singh Pawar is a UKD MLA from Yamnotri in Uttarkashi district.
Rawat allocated industrial development department to parliamentary affairs minister Hirdesh and housing department to Preetam Singh Pawar.
The reshuffle by Rawat is being seen as a move to please ministers who were angry with him for not giving them important portfolios and to keep his flock together.
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