Uncertainty over political course of ND Tiwari’s son

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, October 19

The 91st birthday celebration of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari, in which he reportedly wanted to politically coronate his son Rohit Shekhar, turned out to be a flop show as several bigwigs did not attend the event in Haldwani.

Except for state Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh, Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya, family members of ND Tewari and his supporters, none of the invitees showed up. The subdued response forced Tiwari to postpone announcement regarding the Assembly seat where his son Rohit Shekhar would contest the elections from Uttarakhand or Uttar Pradesh, which are going to polls early next year.

Tiwari said, “I had invited political leaders from the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and Congress leaders from Uttarakhand but none of them reached owing to several reasons.”

The organisers of the event said SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, UP Governor Ram Naik, UP Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay were among the invitees. “Mulayam Singh Yadav sent greetings but expressed his inability to come. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said he was in Delhi, whereas state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay said he was unwell,” said a supporter of ND Tiwari.

Political observers say the absence of bigwigs from Uttar Pradesh deterred Tiwari from mounting psychological pressure on Uttarakhand Congress to give his son a poll ticket.

ND Tiwari, while talking to mediapersons after his birthday bash, said it was up to Rohit if he wanted to contest for the Samajwadi Party in UP or the Congress in Uttarakhand, but “he needs to contest as I want him to rise in politics”.

Meanwhile, Rohit Shekhar said the love and affection Tiwari got from people at this age was an inspiring moment for him. Shekhar later participated in a ‘havan’ along with his father and mother Ujjawala Tiwari.

Hridayesh, a supporter of Tiwari, termed him a development-oriented leader in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Asked if Rohit Shekhar would get a Congress ticket for the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, she said it was up to the Congress leadership to take a decision on that.