Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna on Saturday had a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi to discuss portfolio allocation for ministers of the newly-sworn in government in Uttarakhand where the party had faced a revolt by Union Minister Harish Rawat’s loyalists.
The leadership is likely to placate all the sections in the faction-ridden state unit and the exercise of portfolio allocation is set to be a tricky affair, sources said.
The meeting took place a day after Congress government in the state crossed one more hurdle in its bid to consolidate its position by winning the Rajya Sabha seat defeating BJP by 8 votes.
Congress nominee Mahendra Singh Mahra, a Rawat loyalist, got 39 votes and Anil Goyal of BJP bagged 31 votes in the 70-member House.
Rawat’s camp, which had raised a banner of revolt opposing the nomination of Bahuguna as Chief Minister, had to finally agree to “no change in Chief Ministership” stand of the party high command but Rawat loyalists are likely to get key portfolios in the state Cabinet.
Rawat, who spearheaded the rebel camp, came on board after a compromise was worked out.
Though there is no official word about the party agreeing to Rawat camp’s demand for a Deputy Chief Minister, there is a buzz that the demand could be conceded but not immediately.
Congress earlier won the election for the post of the Speaker and the trust vote, which are being seen as a major boost to the chief minister.
Congress, which emerged as the single largest party short of majority managed to secure the support of independents, BSP and the lone Uttarakhand Kranti Dal MLA to notch up a comfortable majority in the assembly.
After bickering in Congress, Rawat negotiated with the party high command to get the RS berth for Mahra as well as Speaker post for Kunjwal.
——PTI