DEHRADUN: Senior Indian National Congress leader Yashpal Arya was appointed leader of the opposition by the party on Sunday.
An official press release by KC Venugopal stated, "Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Congress Committee and Leader and Deputy Leader of Uttarakhand Legislature Party, as follows, with immediate effect."
Arya, Congress MLA from Bajpur state assembly constituency has held cabinet positions in the BKP and Congress governments. Arya expressing his gratitude to the party leadership said, "I am thankful to the honourable party president Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji and my seniors and colleagues. I will try to do justice as the leader of the opposition to the best of my abilities."
He left the Congress in January 2017 and won from Bajpur seat in the 2017 assembly elections and became a cabinet minister in the Trivendra Singh Rawat government. His son Sanjiv Arya also became MLA from the Nainital seat in the 2017 assembly elections.
The father-son duo left the BJP last year and joined the Congress. Yashpal Arya won from Bajpur seat while his son Sanjiv Arya lost from Nainital. Notably, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat played a key role to bring the father-son duo back into the Congress party.
The Tussle was going on in the party between Rawat and former state party president and leader of opposition Pritam Singh to get a person from their 'camp' to be appointed as LoP and state president. Sources from the party said that though Arya's appointment can be seen as a win for Rawat.
"Harish Rawat played a key role to bring Arya and his son back to the party. Arya's appointment is a win for Rawat but now the Pritam Singh camp will push for their candidate for the position of state party president including Singh himself," said a party source.
In the state assembly elections which concluded last year, the Congress won 18 seats in comparison to 11 in the 2017 assembly elections.