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Amid growing complaints in state, Dhami meets BJP leadership
There is growing unease in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the spate of complaints about irregularities in government functioning and appointments in Uttarakhand, and the public perception about chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s handling of crises, according to functionaries aware of the matter
There is growing unease in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the spate of complaints about irregularities in government functioning and appointments in Uttarakhand, and the public perception about chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s handling of crises, according to functionaries aware of the matter.
There is also consternation in the party over the ongoing public protest against the state government’s response to the murder of a 19-year-old woman, Ankita, who was employed in a resort owned by Pulkit Arya, whose father was a BJP leader and former minister Vinod Arya, according to people who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Arya and his other son Ankit have now been expelled from the party.
The party leaders cited above said they were worried that the state government’s handling of the crime will give the opposition ammunition to attack the government.
“The state’s response to the crime was not adequate. And if that is not enough, there was more embarrassment, when no one seemed to know who ordered the demolition of the resort and who ordered the bulldozers, which can only be deployed by the administration,” said one state leader.
The protests over the crime and the government’s handling of it comes close on the heels of the Uttarakhand high court’s direction to the state government to submit a detailed report on alleged irregularities in appointments made by the state’s subordinate services selection commission.
“While the opposition is having a field day, there are people within the party, too, who have relayed concerns to the national leadership. Local leaders who were approached with complaints about officials seeking favours have also conveyed the impact it can have on the government’s image, especially when the preparations for the 2024 general elections have already begun,” the leader cited above said.
While the leader did not name names, former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was in the Capital recently to meet the BJP’s central leadership and there was speculation that he had come to apprise the party leadership about the growing disenchantment with the Dhami government.
Dhami was first appointed as chief minister six months ahead of the assembly polls after the party first replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat with Tirath Singh Rawat, following allegations of irregularities and governance deficit. The 47-year-old Dhami was reappointed as chief minister after the party won the polls in March, even though he lost his own seat.
Dhami cemented his position in the party by reaffirming his ideological commitment when he announced the decision to implement the uniform civil code and making the anti-conversion laws more stringent.
His presence in the Capital on Tuesday set off speculation that he had been summoned by the central leadership. A party leader in Delhi, however, said there are no meetings planned between Dhami, party president JP Nadda, and senior leaders. This is Dhami’s second visit to Delhi in less than a fortnight.
“There were reports of him meeting the union home minister too, but he has come to attend a tourism related meeting,” said a second leader.
On whether the party is considering sending a team to the state to meet with some of the legislators who have conveyed their concerns to the central leadership, the second leader said reports of the central leadership being dismayed are exaggerated.
“As of now, the chief minister is handling the issues and the senior leaders are also aware of the developments. Reports that he will be changed are incorrect,” the second leader said. “He is a young, dynamic chief minister and there was some opposition in the state to him being elevated, as he is much younger than many state leaders who aspired for the post,” he said.
There is also speculation that Dhami and state president Mahendra Bhatt, who is also on his way to Delhi, could meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Nadda to discuss the state cabinet expansion.
