Will move forward with whatever Central leadership decides, says U'khand CM on bypolls

It is the Election Commission that has to decide when to hold the bypoll in Uttarakhand, said Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Friday.

While speaking to reporters in Delhi, Rawat, who took charge as Chief Minister after his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat stepped down, said that he would work according to the Bharatiya Janata Party's Central leadership's plans.

"(In the meeting,) We discussed the upcoming election, the Kavad Yatra, and how to bring the Central government's yojanas to the people. The Uttarakhand bypolls is the Election Commission's decision. We will move forward whatever the Centre decides," he said.

The BJP high command had called on Rawat to the national capital on Thursday ahead of the state assembly elections set to take place next year. Uttarakhand has 70 Assembly seats. The party unit in the state has also held a 'Chintan Baithak' to chalk out a strategy for upcoming elections in the state.

Earlier last week, Rawat, a Lok Sabha MP from Garwhal, had said that the BJP would decide the seat from which seat he will be contesting the by-elections.

"I have always followed the instructions of the high command of the party and have played the role they have asked me. They have given me this role and have trusted me during a critical time. I will not decide which seat I will contest from. The party will take a call on that," he said.

Meanwhile, former Uttarakhand minister and Congress leader Navprabhat wrote to the Election Commission last week urging it to "clear the confusion" in the state regarding bypolls including that for Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat who needs to get elected to the assembly within six months even as less than a year is left for the state to go to polls.

The Congress leader quoted Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which mandates that the Election Commission fill the casual vacancies in state legislatures through bye-elections within six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy, provided that the remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is one year or more.

( With inputs from ANI )