Pilgrims battle for survival; BJP, Cong for credit

The Congress and the BJP are involved in a battle of political one-upmanship on the sidelines of the rescue operation in Uttarakhand. With reports of RSS spearheading the relief work doing the rounds, the Congress was quick to announce that Sonia Gandhi will flag off trucks with essential supplies in the presence of media on Monday. 

“Sonia Gandhi will flag off the relief material from AICC headquarters on Monday.
Senior IAS officers have been designated as nodal officers for coordinating the operation in Badrinath, Guptakashi, Gangotri, Dharchula and Haridwar,” said Ajay Maken, chairperson on the AICC communication department.

AICC treasurer Moti Lal Vora and general secretary Ambika Soni will also travel to Uttarakhand to coordinate the relief work. The move comes a day after Gujarat CM Narendra Modi visited the region and offered to rebuild the Kedarnath temple.

The Congress and the BJP realise that their performance in Uttarakhand — home to several temples — can have a cascading effect on the upcoming elections.

The BJP has been pinpointing loopholes in handling the crisis. “The Congress has failed to live up to the expectations of people,” said a Vishwa Hindu Parishad member. The Congress has been patting itself on the back by claiming that it evacuated 73,000 pilgrims from Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Tehri, Pithoragarh; 2,000 from Ghangria and 500 from Garunchatti in Kedarnath on Sunday.