Congress hits out at BJP over ‘political instability’ in Uttarakhand

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat referred to Tirath Singh Rawat’s suggestion that he resigned because the Election Commission (EC) was unlikely to hold by-elections due to Covid-19 and called it a lie.

The Congress on Saturday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the “political instability” in Uttarakhand following chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation four months after he took over the state’s top post.

Congress leaders including former chief minister Harish Rawat have hit out at the BJP over the political situation in Uttarakhand. (HT Photo)

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the state will now get the third chief minister in the fifth year of the government’s tenure. “Uttarakhand is becoming an example for greed for power, political instability and BJP’s incompetence and failure.” he said at a press conference. He added the BJP “is famous for creating political instability” and recalled how it changed chief ministers thrice in Delhi between 1993 and 1998.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat referred to Tirath Singh Rawat’s suggestion that he resigned because the Election Commission (EC) was unlikely to hold by-elections due to Covid-19 and called it a lie. “What can be a bigger lie than this that byelections cannot be held in Uttarakhand due to Covid and the chief minister is resigning due to constitutional compulsion. The reality is that by-elections have been held before in the same Covid period,” he said.

A chief minister, if not a member of the assembly, needs to be elected within six months of assuming the post. The EC does not typically hold by-polls to vacant constituencies when an assembly’s remaining term is less than a year.

Devendra Yadav, another Congress leader, said the change in Uttarakhand is the result “of lack of leadership, carelessness and foolishness” of the top brass of the BJP.

“Amidst a deadly pandemic, where the duty of the government should have been ensuring the safety of the people, the only thing BJP has done has play games.” Yadav said the BJP has betrayed the people of Uttarakhand.

There was no immediate response from the BJP