Uttarakhand: Harish Rawat's Daughter And Sons Seek Tickets To Contest Assembly Polls Despite Congress Party's 'One Family, One Ticket' Rule, Say Reports

Two weeks after former Uttarakhand chief minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat made news for being upset with "the style of functioning of AICC state in charge Devender Yadav" and for being "sidelined" in the state unit, reports say that his son and daughter are seeking tickets in the upcoming assembly polls.

Rawat had announced during the same week (in December 2021) that he will be heading the party's campaign committee in the state. Last year, Rawat played a leading role in solving the party's crisis in Punjab.

The Uttarakhand unit of the Congress has been in news in the state for the 'infighting' and 'factions'. A new development is reportedly taking place.

In the backdrop of a new 'rule' that has come up ahead of the state polls, the sons and daughter of Rawat and other prominent leaders in the state unit are now wanting to come to the forefront for the 2022 polls. This ANI report mentions that his daughter, who currently holds a position in Mahila Congress, is seeking assembly tickets from "three different assembly seats" in Haridwar.

Sections of the media have reported that the Congress has come up with the "one family, one ticket" rule for the upcoming assembly polls in Uttarakhand and Punjab.

In Punjab, the decision was made at a meeting of the screening committee chaired by Ajay Maken, says a report. In Uttarakhand, the screening committee has some prominent senior leaders. The "one family, one ticket", reports say, is the party's way to stand against the allegations of following "dynasty politics". This report says that in Punjab, the "one family, one ticket" could upset the senior leaders in the party.

A report on the News 18 website mentions: "The Congress has given its approval to the ‘one family, one ticket’ rule for the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. This can potentially throw several senior party leaders or their family members out of the poll fray."

The Congress screening committee will be playing a role in the process of ticket distribution in Uttarakhand. Offspring of other prominent leaders of the Congress, such as Sumit Hridayesh — son of late Congress leader Indira Hridayesh, Abhishek, son of leader of opposition in the state assembly Pritam Singh, and Yashpal Arya's son Sanjiv Arya, who left the BJP (in 2021) to join Congress, are also seeking tickets, reports say.