Champion, a Cong MLA in Uttarakhand, in defiant mood

The legislator has challenged CM Vijay Bahuguna as well as the Congress party to take action against him for his alleged anti-party activities

After allegedly firing at a statehood activist, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, a ruling Congress MLA in Uttarakhand, is in a defiant mood these days.

Champion, a legislator from Khanpur constituency in Haridwar district, has challenged Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna as well as the Congress party to take action against him for his alleged anti-party activities. The party has already sent a show cause notice to Champion for describing Bahuguna as "Draupadi", who, he claims, is being "disrobed" by state transport minister Surendra Rakesh. (Rakesh is minister from BSP quota). Rakesh is trying to weaken the Congress party which in turn might lose all the five Lok Sabha seats, Champion claims.

Champion's outburst against the Chief Minister came close on the heels of the firing incident at the residence of state agriculture minister Harak Singh Rawat last month in Dehradun where he allegedly shot at Vivekanand Khanduri, a Congress leader and a prominent statehood activist. Khanduri, who received bullet injuries at his foot, is bed-ridden these days at a government hospital. The state police has so far taken no action against Champion in the firing incident.

Champion's latest potshot against his own party leaders is being seen as the fallout of the political compulsions of the Chief Minister, who is heading a coalition government after Congress failed to muster majority in the last year's assembly elections. Congress, which has 33 seats, in the state assembly is being supported by 3 BSP MLAs and some independents. On the other hand, a section of party leaders owing allegiance to Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat want a change of guard in the state.

All these political compulsions have given a cushion to Champion to attack the top leadership of the ruling party.

A section of party leaders now want expulsion of Champion from the party. "He has lost all moral right to continue in the party," said Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap.

Meanwhile, Progressive Democratic Front, a grouping formed by non-Congress ministers in the state, has threatened to withdraw support from the government if the Chief Minister did not take strong action against Champion. "We want to see action in 10 days otherwise we will withdraw support," said Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani (independent MLA).

The party observers said the political developments in the state ruling party may be very interesting to watch in the coming days.