DEHRADUN: Newly-appointed Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara on Thursday advised MLAs to not forget the "symbol of the party" for they owe their win to it. Mahara said this as sources within party spoke of discontent among some legislators over the recent organisational overhaul.
"MLAs are accountable to their voters. It applies to MLAs of any party. Winning polls on the symbol of one party and going to another after the polls amounts to letting down your voters and going against the mandate. You have been voted on the symbol and ideology of a particular party. You don't become god after winning the election," Mahara who would formally assume office as the PCC chief on April 17 said in reply to a question from reporters here.
Around 10 Congress MLAs are said to be unhappy with the recent organisational revamp of the Congress in Uttarakhand in which Mahara was appointed as the PCC president, Bajpur MLA Yashpal Arya as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, and Bhuvan Chandra Kapri, who had defeated Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Khatima, as the Deputy Leader of Opposition.
A meeting of allegedly disgruntled Congress legislators was to take place here on Wednesday but did not as some of them could not come on time.
It is likely to take place Thursday later. Mahara said he was not aware of any discontent among party MLAs. "I have been getting congratulatory messages from the MLAs. I do not see any discontent among them," he said.
However, sources said senior party leader Harish Rawat has been asked to defuse the crisis and he is in touch with the resentful MLAs.