New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS): The Congress is contemplating to field former minister Harak Singh Rawat against Satpal Maharaj in the Uttarakhand assembly polls. The Congress top leaders will be meeting to take a final call on the issue.

The Congress wants to use Rawat, a party hopper, against another party hopper, Satpal Maharaj.

Satpal Maharaj, once Congress stalwart, had switched to BJP in 2017 and is a minister in the BJP government and is considered heavyweight in the state. But now Congress wants to field Rawat who was also in BJP and has now joined the Congress. Maharaj is MLA from Chaubattakhal, considered a safe seat for the BJP but the Congress' new move could create difficult situation for the BJP.

The Congress has already given ticket to Harak Singh Rawat's daughter-in-law from Lansdowne.

The Congress on Monday had released the second list of 11 candidates for the February 14 Assembly elections in Uttarakhand, fielding senior leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat from Ramnagar in Nainital district.

In the second list, the party has given ticket to Anukriti Gusain Rawat, the daughter-in-law of Harak Singh Rawat, who recently rejoined the Congress from the BJP after being expelled by the saffron party. Anukriti will contest from Lansdowne.

The other candidates in the list include Suryakant Dhasmana(Dehradun Cantt), Mohit Uniyal (Doiwala), Jayendra Chand Ramola (Rishikesh), Barkha Rani (Jwalapur, SC seat) Virender Kumar Jati (Jhabrera, SC seat) Subhash Choudhary (Khanpur), Antriksh Saini (Laksar), Sandhya Dalakoti (Lalkuwa), and Mahender Pal Singh (Kaladhungi).