Could not form govt due to internal rift: Khanduri

Khanduri refused to comment on speculation that he would contest against the incumbent CM in a bypoll,choosing to leave the decision to the party. He denied that the party was keeping the Leader of Opposition seat vacant for him: “I don’t think that is the reason…Why should anybody wait for me?”

The state government has been on a day-to-day existence since Congressman Vijay Bahuguna took oath as the CM on March 13 with the support of seven MLAs,which includes three Independents. Bahuguna,currently MP,is yet to find a ‘winnable’ Assembly constituency from where he can contest a bypoll to secure his position. The BJP,busy setting its own house in order,has been unable to take advantage of the situation. It is no secret that the two big leaders of the party in the state — Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ — do not see eye to eye.

Khanduri claimed that if it were not for these problems,the BJP could have won 40 seats in the 70-member Assembly: “I have developed immense respect for the voter after this election,despite my personal loss. They wanted a five-year BJP rule again. Why we could not form the government was because of our internal differences.”

Khanduri was asked by the BJP’s national leadership to replace the then CM Pokhriyal after the latter’s image fell in the light of some allegations of corruption. Khanduri lost from Kotdwar — a seat he had handpicked — in the Assembly elections. The word on the street is that a section of his party turned against Khanduri.

“I felt disappointed. I lost in a seat I had been representing from ‘91…Whatever were the reasons,I do not want to discuss it here. But ultimately,it was our own shortcomings,our own weaknesses that resulted in the BJP not forming the government,” Khanduri said.

Despite being critical of the Bahuguna government,he said that the government’s troubles are a result of the state electorate’s habit of not awarding clear mandates. “During campaigning I said in a number of places that Uttarakhand has suffered because of the (absence) of a clear-cut mandate…My wish was that any party — Congress or BJP — should get 46 seats. Then you don’t have to bother about anything else.” he said.