My sympathies are with Akhilesh, he is good for the future of UP: Harish Rawat

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat came out fully in support of Akhilesh Yadav -- currently engaged in a bitter feud with his father and uncle -- by claiming that “my sympathies are completely with the work-oriented young leader who would be good for the future of UP.” In a free-ranging conversation with TOI at his official residence on Saturday, Rawat spoke on a number of issues that he had previously not commented on.These included, besides his views on UP’s future, his relationship with God, his easy accessibility -- “which often becomes a disadvantage as people come to meet me and then go away harbouring high expectations” -- and his thought process in choosing a seat from where he would like to contest the forthcoming elections.
On Akhilesh, the 69-year-old chief minister said that the young Yadav leader was “an energetic CM who has learnt a lot.” “In the present situation, if I had to vote, I will vote for Akhilesh. He is doing good work in the state and can do even better if there is an alliance between him and the Congress. The country will benefit from this alliance because if there is political stability in Uttar Pradesh, it will help the entire country.”
Taking a dig at PM Modi, Rawat added, “The Prime Minister should pray to Baba Somnath that Harish Rawat continues to manage the Himalayan fortress of Uttarakhand -- which has international borders -- and UP – the biggest state of the country remains in the hands of Akhilesh who is doing a good job. It is in the Centre’s interest that these two important states remain stable. The PM can then peacefully focus on his job at the Centre.”
As he readies for one of the most crucial polls in the state's 16-year-old history, the Thakur leader who is battling anti-incumbency as well as a CBI enquiry into the CD sting case, said that he would be going to the people “purely on the basis of development work done by me.” Ask him whether demonetisation will also be an issue and he pauses to think a bit before replying. “We will highlight our own achievements first. But demonetisation will also be mentioned. It is something which has affected everyone. As far as our own state is concerned, it has led to losses of over Rs 1,000 crore. I am not an economist but even I can say as a layman that it will lead to at least a 2% decline in the country’s growth rate and undo the economic reforms work done by former Prime Ministers Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. It is sad that PM Modi's advisors have lead him to formulate policies which are leading to unfortunate results.”
On the speculation surrounding the seat that he will contest from -- with constituencies like Mussoorie and Kedarnath being spoken about as his probable choices -- the CM said that he will choose “either a very comfortable or a very tough seat.” “I still haven’t made up my mind. Either it will be a centrally-located seat which will help me reach different parts of the state easily or I will choose a tough seat in some far-flung area. I will see how the tickets are distributed and then consider what options are left or me. In any case, I will not dictate my choice but do what is most suited for the party.”
A steady stream of visitors keep coming to meet him. Ask Rawat whether his accessibility -- he is regarded as one of the most approachable chief ministers -- often becomes a disadvantage, he acknowledges, “Yes, my being available to everyone often becomes a disadvantage for me as people come to me with high hopes and go away feeling that their work will be done. I try my best to fulfill commitments but many things can’t always be done. Nevertheless, I think the CM should always be available to hear out people in a small state like Uttarakhand.”
The sexagenarian adds that he usually works for “14 hours a day, sometimes 17.” “I try to meet people while standing. That’s my way of getting some exercise as well. I spend some time in pooja that is very important for me. So many people have high expectations from me and I need blessings to live upto their hopes.”
And what is he praying for? The answer is a no-brainer. “If God is giving me an opportunity to serve the state’s people, then at least let me have an absolute majority so that I can work on my own terms. In the last two-and-a half years, I was forced to make a lot of compromises which was unbecoming of Harish Rawat.”