The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Rivals within Cong share dais after long time Sandeep Rawat Tribune News Service Haridwar, September 22 Harish Rawat today paid a surprise visit to Satpal Maharaj, who is holding an annual religious function at Prem Nagar Ashram here. Despite being political rivals within their own party, Congress bigwigs Pauri Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj and Haridwar MP Harish Rawat shared dais after a long time. The coming closer of both the Thakur satraps, who have been at loggerheads since former Tehri Garhwal parliamentarian Vijay Bahuguna was appointed the Chief Minister, is being seen as a new political development within the party. According to party insiders close to both the leaders, the parliamentarians have seemed to put behind their displeasures and stances post CM Bahuguna’s son Saket Bahuguna being named the official party candidate from the Tehri constituency. Harish Rawat even termed Maharaj a spiritual-political guru who was uniting people irrespective of their caste, creed or sect. Appreciating Maharaj further, Harish Rawat said while at political front, people of the state, particularly voters of Pauri Garhwal, have immense faith in political capability of Maharaj. In reply, Maharaj thanked the local parliamentarian for taking time to meet him. He shed light on the three decades of political career of Harish Rawat, citing his three time stint as Almora parliamentarian, vice-chief of Sew Dal and record win in 2009 from the Haridwar constituency as the proof of his capability. Talking to the TNS, Harish Rawat said, “The efforts of Maharaj through his religious organisation is commendable as it is spreading love, peace, communal harmony and brotherhood among people. As a parliamentarian, he was the Union Minister of State for Railways where he did commendable work.” The move is also being seen by the Harish Rawat camp as a way to solidify its base as Satpal Maharaj has a major influence in Haridwar, where he annually holds mega religious function in which more than 10 lakh people take part.
	tehri bypoll CM using govt machinery, residence for his son: Chufal BJP to write to Election Commission Tribune News Service Dehradun, September 22 President of the state unit of the BJP BS Chufal today alleged that Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was misusing the government machinery and his official residence for his son and Congress nominee for the Tehri byelection Saket Bahuguna. Chufal said the party would write to the Election Commission seeking its intervention. “Instead of opening a separate office for overseeing the Tehri byelection, the Chief Minister has made his official residence the election office for junior Bahuguna. Even the election publicity material is being distributed from the CM’s house and meetings with MPs and MLAs are being organised there only," he said, while talking to mediapersons today. Chufal alleged that during the nomination of Saket Bahuguna, vehicles used for the procession that traversed from Parade Ground to the Collectorate were in excess. “We will urge the EC to examine the videos of the procession as the vehicles seemed to be more than that mentioned in the modal code of conduct,” he said. On the issue of Matbar Singh Kandari’s exit from the BJP, Chuphal said, “Kandari has left the party in his old age and it will not have any impact on the BJP. In the same manner, if former Chief Minister ND Tiwari was to exit the Congress today, it will also have little impact on the party,” said Chufal. He refuted the allegations about his lack of success in stemming desertions and that in this regard his tenure could be termed unsuccessful. “You cannot prevent opportunistic people from leaving the party. If people have left the BJP, some have also joined us, including Munna Singh Chauhan and Madhu Chauhan,” he added. Saket declares assets State Congress candidate for Tehri bypoll Saket Bahuguna has total movable and immovable assets, including commercial ventures, worth Rs 2 crores apart from having a residential accommodation in Friends Colony, Delhi. He also has a BMW car. Saket, who filed his nomination in here yesterday, also declared his assets, including the assets possessed by his wife. Apart from Rs 32,000 cash, he has a deposit of Rs 1, 41, 93,000 in one bank while Rs 89,000 is deposited in other bank. His investment is to the tune of Rs 54 lakh. Saket has also taken loan to the tune of Rs 3 crore. Similarly, his wife, Gauri Bahuguna, has Rs 38,000 and deposits of Rs 15 lakh and Rs 2 lakh in two bank accounts. She also has Rs 7 lakh in Provident Fund account. She has jewellery worth Rs 2.5 crore. Trivendra Singh Panwar files nominations Trivendra Singh Panwar, president of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar), an ally of the Congress-led government in Uttarakhand, today filed his nomination papers for the Tehri Lok Sabha byelection here today. Accompanied by party leaders and supporters, Panwar went to the office of the Dehradun District Magistrate and filed his nomination papers. Attacking both Congress and BJP, he told mediapersons that the candidates of BJP as well as Congress were outsiders who had nothing to do with the welfare of the people of the state. He said that his party, which represented the regional sentiments, was the best bet for the people of the state. Manujendra Singh, husband of BJP candidate Mala Raj Laxmi Shah, also filed his nominations as a covering candidate for his wife.
	BJP, Cong adopting divide-and-rule policy: UKD Tribune News Service Dehradun, September 22 Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Democratic) candidate for the Tehri byelection Yogi Rakesh Nath today accused the BJP and the Congress of doing little for the welfare of the people of the state. Addressing a press conference here today, Yogi Rakesh Nath alleged that both the parties only resorted to a policy of divide and rule to serve their political interests. He alleged that the parties were contesting the Tehri bypoll on the basis of money power. “Both parties want to garner votes, which is not a good trend for Uttarakhand politics,” he said, adding that these parties had no respect for regional issues. Yogi Rakesh Nath said increasing unemployment was a biggest challenge before the state government. Most of the people in border villages of the state had migrated to other places. He said Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was more interested in camping in Delhi rather than working in Uttarakhand. Senior UKD (D) leader BD Raturi was also present.
	BJP leaders heave sigh of relief with Kandari's exit Tribune News Service Dehradun, September 22 There was high drama yesterday before former Cabinet Minister Matbar Singh Kandari’s formal entry into the Congress. Moments after Kandari was whisked away by Congress MLA and Chief Minister’s emissary Subodh Uniyal, who had come to pick him for the rally to take place at the Parade Ground, former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, too, followed, but by the time they had already left. While Nishank managed to persuade BJP officer-bearers from Rudraprayag who, too, were ready to join the Congress, to take back their resignation letters, Kandari was already out of his grasp. Nishank has now gone to town proclaiming how he would have been able to prevent Kandari’s exodus had he come a little earlier. On the other hand, senior BJP leaders are heaving a sigh of relief with the exit of Kandari as they would no longer have to pander to the demands of the former minister, who is keen to get his son elected as an MLA. “It is his son’s ambitions that have driven Kandari into the arms of the Congress. It would have been extremely tough for the BJP to grant ticket to both son and father at the same time,” said BS Chufal, Uttarakhand BJP chief. Today senior BJP leader BS Koshiyari rejected charges made by Kandari that both Koshiyarl and Trivender Singh Rawat had converted the party into a private limited party. “It is most unfortunate that Kandari is hurling baseless accusations after joining a party that is on it’s way to promoting dynastic succession. How can he ignore the glaring lack of democracy in the Congress,” said Koshiyari.
	Villagers tread 100 km to bring Brahma Kamal for offering to Nanda Devi BD Kasniyal Pithoragarh, September 22 Hundreds of villagers from the Talla Johar area of Munsiyari set on journey to the high Himalayan glaciers in groups early this morning to pluck the Brahma Kamal flower to offer it to Nanda Devi, the idols of which are established in every village of the areas. Brahma Kamal is a flower of Uttarakhand and is found only in the high Himalayan glaciers. The villagers, after treading long distances, would reach the Thal glacier (12,000 feet high) late this evening and after resting there tonight would leave for the Hiramani glacier tomorrow morning to pluck Brahma Kamal there, said Pushkar Singh, a resident of Nachni village. Pushkar is leading a group of youth to bring Brahma Kamal to be offered at the Nanda Devi temple near Nachni village. “Brahma Kamal blooms in this season only and the first set of flowers is offered to Nanda Devi,” said Puskar. According to the traditional worship of Nanda Devi in the Talla Johar (lower Johar villages) area, after collecting Brahma Kamal from the higher Himalayan glaciers, the villagers would return tomorrow (seventh day of Nanda Devi worship). “The day the villagers reach home from the 100-km journey after having a bath in the sacred Nanda Kunda near the highest glaciers, they will receive a tumultuous welcome,” said Ganga Dutt Dwivedi, a resident of Baman Gaon, near Quiti. Dwivedi said, “As all villagers of the Talla Johar area are migrants from the Garhwal region, Nanda is their Kuldevi. Almost every village in the Talla Johar area has a Nanda Devi temple where they worship the Goddess round the year. But special prayers are solemnised with Brahma Kamal, as it pleases Nanda Devi, who is believed to reside in the high Himalayan peaks.” Pious flower Brahma Kamal is the flower of Uttarakhand and is found only in the high Himalayan glaciers. As all villagers of the Talla Johar area are migrants from the Garhwal region, Nanda is their Kuldevi. Special prayers are solemnised with Brahma Kamal, as it pleases Nanda Devi, who is believed to reside in the high Himalayan peaks. Brahma Kamal blooms in this season only and the first set of flowers is offered to Nanda Devi.
	Chaliya mahotsava inaugurated Our Correspondent Pithoragarh, September 22 The week-long Chaliya mahotsava was inaugurated by State Planning Minister Dinesh Aggrawal at DS Bisht Stadium here today. The minister said the state government was willing to give every region of the state its own distinct identity by promoting local culture. The minister was welcomed in traditional Kumaoni style. He was offered Kumaoni Topi and a shawl by the committee members. According to the Chaliya mahotsava committee members, the mahotsava will have cultural troupes from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. “Besides these troupes, two Chaliya groups from Garhwal, three from other districts of Kumaon and other teams from local schools will participate in the mahotsava this year,” said Hemraj Singh Bisht, president of the Chaliya Mahotsava Samiti. According to the mahotsawa president, the main competition will be held among 24 Chaliya troupes of the district. Some troupes from Nepal have also been given entry in the competition.