Dehradun: The issue of Gairsain as the permanent capital dominated the discussion in the Uttarakhand Assembly regarding the 25-year journey of the state’s formation and the future roadmap. All the MLAs expressed differing opinions on this issue. Generally, people believe that the capital of the hill state of Uttarakhand should be in the hills. Meanwhile, Tilak Raj Behad, a senior Congress MLA, has clearly stated that Gairsain cannot be the capital of Uttarakhand.
Tilak Raj Behad said that Dehradun should be the capital. Behad openly stated that Gairsain has already been made the summer capital and hence, it cannot be made the permanent capital. This statement by the Congress MLA comes after senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat has already garnered attention. Harish Rawat has previously stated that if the Congress government comes to power in 2027, it will make Gairsain the permanent capital. Consequently, the senior Congress leader’s statement regarding Gairsain is once again in the news.
On the other hand, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya said that in such matters, the statement of one individual is irrelevant. The party decides its stand on such issues. He added that Congress has played a significant role in the infrastructure development in Gairsain.
Senior BJP MLA Vinod Chamoli took a dig at Tilak Raj Behad’s statement. He said that Tilak Raj Behad does not consider Harish Rawat his leader, or that Harish Rawat makes any statement within the Congress party. Chamoli said that Congress only knows how to play politics on the issue of Gairsain. Why didn’t Congress declare Gairsain the capital when it ruled the state for 10 years? Harish Rawat says that if he wins the 2027 elections, he will make Gairsain the permanent capital, while Tilak Raj Behad Behad’s statement contradicts this. Now, Congress should first decide internally what its party line is on the capital issue.
