Dehradun, May 26 -- Disgruntled Congress MLA from Pithoragarh Mayukh Mahar met former chief minister and senior party leader Harish Rawat on Sunday, and announced that he would not be associated with the party until Karan Mahara becomes the state party chief. "I can't work under a party chief who abuses me and the people of my constituency. The party should remove him from the post of president. I will not be in the Congress until Karan Mahara is made the state party chief," he said. The MLA said he will field his own candidates in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts in the 2027 assembly elections, "if the party expels him or he is forced to leave the party". Mahar on his Facebook page wrote on Saturday, "Today, I had a discussion with the former chief minister Harish Rawat... The former CM has come too late... Your passion and struggle at this age is worth noting. You are not called Bhishma Pitamah in Uttarakhand for no reason. Bhishma Pitamah kept mum during the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Now, if I talk about the municipal elections, the state president used wrong words against me at Subhash Chowk among my own people. He insulted the people of Pithoragarh. When candidates (in civil body elections) were being selected in entire Uttarakhand based on opinion of the MLAs, then why was the same not done in Pithoragarh. I also come from a family of freedom fighters, struggle is in my blood..." He added, "For our self-respect, till the time Karan Mehra is the state president, I am not part of the Congress." He said, "If the party expels me or I am forced to resign, I will field my own candidates in six seats of Pithoragarh-Champawat in 2027 assembly elections. I will keep fighting as the voice of Pithoragarh." The MLA said that under Mahara's presidency, several leaders, including those associated with party for decades, have left the party and it is hurting the prospects of the party. "His presidency has only weakened the party. The party will lose the remaining support base if he remains the state chief," he said. In January, the MLA had openly supported an Independent candidate against his own party's candidate in the Pithoragarh mayoral election. Mahara had then said that Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) recommended disciplinary action against the MLA for supporting Independent mayoral candidate Monika Mahar in the Pithoragarh mayoral election. The Congress had fielded Anju Lunthi for the Pithoragarh mayoral seat. However, the Congress hasn't taken any action against the MLA till now. A senior Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "The state president is not pleased with Rawat's attempts to pacify the disgruntled MLA independently, without any authorisation from the party." HT reached out to Mahara but did not get any response to request for comment. When asked about action against the MLA, he said, "It is the central leadership's prerogative."...