Uttarakhand CM row: Harish Rawat offers to quit

New Delhi, Mar 13 (ANI): Congress leader Harish Rawat, who was seen as a frontrunner for the Uttarakhand chief minister's post, has offered to resign from the Cabinet after Vijay Bahuguna, the MP representing Tehri Garhwal, was named as chief minister-designate.

According to television and print media reports, Rawat has sent his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Rawat has also written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, saying that he would prefer to work as a party worker.

"I can not confirm this news. But I also know that he has written a letter to Sonia Gandhi

I think injustice has been done to Harish Rawat," said Pradeep Tamta, Congress MP from Almora.

"In 2002, Congress came in power because of Harish Rawat . But he was not made the chief minister. He is honourable politician of Uttarakhand. He has worked very hard in every region. Congress leadership should rethink about their decision. I am not against the decision of Congress leadership but injustice has been done to Harish Rawat

We trust Sonia Gandhi," Tamta added.

The Congress High Command on Monday evening selected Bahuguna to be the next chief minister of Uttarakhand.

A former Judge of the Allahabad and Bombay High Courts, Bahuguna is Vice-President of Uttarakhand unit of Congress and is a second-term MP representing Tehri Garhwal.

Hailing from a political family, Bahuguna's father was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and his sister Rita Bahuguna Joshi was till recently the President of the Uttar Pradesh Congress unit.

In the 70-member Assembly, Congress has emerged as the largest party with 32 MLAs and has the support of three independent MLAs and one from UKD. The Bahujan Samaj Party, having strength of three members, has pledged its unconditional support to Congress, raising its tally to 39. (ANI)