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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat seems to be on high ground.
First came his ascension as chief minister in February, despite his party, the Congress, facing a drubbing in the general elections in May. Now, he can boast of a victory in the Assembly by-elections, which has helped the Congress pocket 35 seats in the 70-member House.
The ruling party in the state won all the three seats - Dharchula, Someshwar and Doiwala - in the bypolls held on July 21.
Rawat got a pat on the back from Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who said "it is an indication that people are still looking towards Congress with hope." The victory gives Rawat a much-needed relief in the Assembly, especially after the Lok Sabha election rout. The chief minister was facing severe infighting in the party.
After the change of guard in February this year, Rawat's political rival and former chief minister, Vijay Bahuguna, was at loggerheads with him.
Bahuguna has been seeking cabinet berths for his staunch supporters, such as Subodh Unniyal, and a Rajya Sabha seat for himself, a demand not acceptable to the chief minister now. But after the by-elections, some Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in the Bahuguna camp have switched sides. The Congress was also dependent on the support of the seven-member Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), an alliance of mostly Independent MLAs. Rawat, however, has said the coalition arrangement will continue. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered a setback, with its strength falling to 28 from 30.
Rawat, advised rest following a neck injury in an aircraft accident last month, had secured a victory from Dharchula, defeating the BJP's B D Joshi by a margin of 20,604 votes. The Congress candidates from Someshwar and Doiwala also scored comfortable victories.
Rawat, who could not go to Dharchula for the election campaign due to his injury, said the victory has proved people have reaffirmed their confidence in the Congress.
