Progressive Democrat Front announces its own candidate for Rajya Sabha

DEHRADUN: Upset over "not being taken into confidence" by Congress on Rajya Sabha nominee, ally PDF,which is providing crucial support to Harish Rawat government, has named Minister Dinesh Dhanai as its candidate for election to the Upper House leading to consternation in the ruling camp.

Soon after Congress announced Pradeep Tamta as its Rajya Sabha nominee from Uttarakhand, the six-member PDF went into a huddle at Cabinet Minister Harish Chandra Durgapal's residence late in the night and the head of the group Mantri Prasad Naithani formally announced Dhanai's candidature.

Making it clear that Tamta's nomination by Congress had not gone down well with the conglomerate, Naithani said PDF stood steadily by the Congress during the recent political crisis in the state which concluded with Harish Rawat winning the floor test in the Assembly and his subsequent reinstatement as Chief Minister.

"Despite the fact that the PDF had already announced its decision to field a candidate, it was not taken into confidence by Congress before announcing its nominee for Rajya Sabha," Naithani said.

The support of PDF, a front consisting of two BSP MLAs, one UKD and three Independents had been crucial for Rawat's victory in the floor test as it took the number of MLAs supporting him from Congress' own 27 to 33.

Sources said PDF had pinned its hopes on a Rajya Sabha seat.

PDF's move appears to have caused some consternation in Congress with Rawat cancelling his night stay at Paithani in Pauri district yesterday and returning straight to the state capital in an apparent bid to pacify ruffled feathers.

It is also being seen as PDF's pressure tactic for securing at least one vacant berth in Rawat's cabinet for a member of the front.

There have been two berths vacant in Rawat's cabinet for quite some time.

One Rajya Sabha seat from Uttarakhand is to fall vacant with BJP MP Tarun Vijay's tenure due to end in July.