Pranav Champion, a rebel at all times
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service
Haridwar, March 31
Once loyal to former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, rebel Congress MLA from the Khanpur constituency Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion is known to switch his loyalty according to convenience.
Champion was a supporter of former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna till October 2013. He came close to Harish Rawat after he was asked to resign from the Cabinet-rank post of Chairman of the Van Vikas Nigam owing to his statement that the Congress would lose all five parliamentary seats in Uttarakhand and a war of words with the former Transport Minister, late Surendra Rakesh.
Subsequently, in May 2014, Harish Rawat, who had become Chief Minister replacing Vijay Bahuguna, rewarded Champion by making him Chairman of the Minerals Development Council, Uttarakhand.
After Surendra Rakesh’s death, Champion eyed the vacant Cabinet berth. Harish Rawat gave the party ticket to Surendra’s widow Mamata Rakesh, who won the byelection. The Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) legislators were opposed to Champion’s elevation as a Cabinet minister.
Three-time Khanpur MLA Champion, according to people close to him, joined the Vijay Bahuguna camp again. Political observer SD Pandey says Champion’s political career had been marred by controversies that had also put the party leadership and the Chief Minister in a difficult situation.
Champion, while talking to The Tribune, said he had no qualms about losing the Cabinet-rank post as he had joined hands with other like-minded MLAs for removing Harish Rawat.
“We nine legislators didn’t defect for personal gains but to end the dictatorial, one-man show, family-centric and ill governance of the Harish Rawat government. The state was being run by the land, liquor and quarrying mafias and Harish Rawat’s brother-in-law Ranjit Rawat, who was not even a legislator, was running the government indirectly,” he said.
Asked why he joined hands with the Opposition, Champion said the BJP is a cadre-based party where there was no scope for family politics. “The Congress will be uprooted in the next Assembly elections not only from Khanpur or Haridwar but also from entire Uttarakhand,” he added.
