ND Tiwari jumps into race for Uttarakhand CM

Dehradun: Ahead of the January 30 assembly polls in Uttarakhand, Congress veteran ND Tiwari on Wednesday jumped into the race of chief ministerial post in the event of his party returning to power.

"For nearly one-two years, I can hold the post (of chief minister)", Tiwari told reporters at Ramnagar assembly constituency in Kumaon region where he is campaigning for Amrita Rawat, wife of Congress leader Satpal Maharaj.

Tiwari was replying to questions from reporters whether he would like to become the chief minister in case Congress comes to power in the state.

After remaining in hibernation for a couple of years in the wake of the Andhra Pradesh Raj Bhavan sex scandal, Tiwari recently came out openly in support of a couple of Congress candidates in the state.

Tiwari is actively campaigning for his nephew Manish Tiwari from Gadarpur, his close associate Indira Hridayesh from Haldwani and others.

Tiwari was instrumental in getting ticket for Manish along with his OSD Aryendra Sharam despite opposition by a section of Congress leaders.

Soon after the Raj Bhavan sex scandal following which he was forced to quit the gubernatorial post, Tiwari had kept a distance from politics as well as Congress party.

He had occasionally appeared in some public functions of ruling BJP.

When contacted, Surendra Kumar, a state Congress spokesman acknowledged the achievements of Tiwari saying he "had always been a pillar of strength for the party".