Tandon (top), Pal: Unusual friends

Lucknow, Aug. 4: The Samajwadi Party has resurrected the emotive issue of reverting Hardwar and Udham Singh Nagar to Uttar Pradesh in the face of strident attacks from both the Opposition and allies.

Emboldened by a marginal electoral gain in Uttaranchal in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the ruling party yesterday moved a resolution in the Assembly recommending to Parliament the restoration of the two districts to Uttar Pradesh.

The move was prompted by “popular demand by residents in the two districts”, said Ambika Chowdhary, a senior state minister who moved the resolution.

“Culturally, economically and politically, these two districts have no affinity with the new state of Uttaranchal,” he added.

The passing of the resolution by a majority voice vote has revived an old political dispute .

Uttaranchal politicians said the move was an insult to the parliamentary resolution that carved out the hill state.

At home, too, the Samajwadi Party appeared isolated as the Opposition parties, the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party, walked out of the House in protest.

The Congress, which is supporting the government from outside, was bitterly critical. The Samajwadi Party is resorting to useless rhetoric to mislead people, state Congress chief Jagdambika Pal said.

Lalji Tandon, the BJP legislature party chief, said the resolution was the height of dangerous populism. “The Samajwadi Party is playing with the fate of a few crore people in Uttaranchal.”

Both the Congress and, of late, the BJP have been going after the ruling party citing poor law and order and infrastructure.

But the Samajwadis appeared unruffled. It is trying to “keep its promise” made during the general elections that the party would ensure the two districts’ return if it came to power at the Centre.

But now that it cannot play kingmaker in Delhi, the Samajwadi Party has passed the resolution. This, the party feels, is a compulsion since it had won the Hardwar parliamentary seat and notched up substantial votes in Udham Singh Nagar by whipping up popular sentiment on the issue.