Azad to go to Uttarakhand as central observer

New Delhi, Mar 9: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is being sent as a central observer to Uttarakhand where factional feuds have created hurdles in CLP leader's election.

Azad will be proceeding to Dehradun tomorrow to elicit views of newly elected party MLAs, party sources said.

Party General Secretary Chaudhary Birender Singh, who is in charge of the party affairs in the state, is already there.

Reports from Dehradun had it that factional feud within Congress and certain conditions put up by Independents, who hold the key to government formation, have created hurdles in the CLP leader's election in Uttarakhand.

In the 70-member House, Congress has 32 MLAs - four short of majority - with three Independents and one MLA from UKD(P), helping the party to reach the magic figure of 36.

The party appears to be divided into three to four camps headed by Union Minister Harish Rawat, former Union Minister Satpal Maharaj, senior leader Vijay Bahuguna and PCC chief Yashpal Arya.

Besides, Leader of the Opposition in the previous House Harak Singh Rawat and senior leader Indira Hridayesh were being projected as the new CLP leader.

PTI