A day after his veiled attack on the Congress leadership ahead of assembly polls in Uttarakhand over “lack of cooperation” from the state unit, party leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat said will be the face of election campaigning in Uttarakhand.

I will lead the Uttarakhand elections and CM will be decided later, he said adding that everyone will cooperate.

Calling himself a party loyalist who was devoted to welfare of the state, Rawat said “Kadam kadam badhae jaa, Congress ke geet gae jaa. Zingadi hai Uttarakhand ke vaaste Uttarakhand par lutae jaa (Keep on marching forward, sing praises of the Congress, life is for Uttarkhand, devote it to Uttarakhand).”

Rawat had expressed anguish at factionalism in the state unit

Rawat, who left for Delhi to meet party leadership, met his supporters in Haridwar at an event and paid tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his birth anniversary.

Rawat had on Wednesday made a veiled attack in tweets on the Congress leadership ahead of assembly polls in the state stating that the “nominees of those whose directions one has to swim (in the electoral battle) are tying my hands and feet”.

In a series of tweets, Rawat expressed anguish at the factionalism in the state unit and noted that thought has been crossing his mind that “it is time to rest”.

Assembly polls in Uttarakhand are due for early next year

“Isn’t it strange, one has to swim in the sea in the form of the forthcoming electoral battle, instead of cooperation, the organisational structure at most places is turning its face away or is playing a negative role,” said Rawat in a tweet.

Rawat, a member of the Congress Working Committee, is seen as the grand old party’s face for the elections in Uttarakhand.

Assembly polls in Uttarakhand are due for early next year.