Rawat’s resignation could impact BJP’s poll prospects

Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation ended his short stint that was marred by controversies including over allowing the Mahakumbh during a devastating surge in Covid infections, and large-scale fraud in testing during the mega fair.

Published on: Jul 3, 2021, 11:20:55 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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Dehradun: Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation as the Uttarakhand chief minister just four months after he replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat comes months before the elections in the state. Political experts say the fresh change of guard could impact the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prospects in the 2022 assembly polls. The change has also given Congress a fresh handle to attack the BJP over political inability in the state.

Change of leadership within four months will increase the political instability in the Uttarakhand, which will go to polls next year. (PTI)

Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation ended his short stint that was marred by controversies including over allowing the Mahakumbh during a devastating surge in Covid infections, and large-scale fraud in testing during the mega fair. Rawat, 57, suggested he resigned because the Election Commission (EC) was unlikely to hold by-elections due to Covid-19. But an EC official indicated that no request was made to hold a by-poll and suggested there were precedents that may have permitted it. 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.

The situation for the BJP in Uttarakhand is a throwback to 2011 when Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank resigned ahead of the assembly polls the following year. BC Khanduri, who replaced Nishank, lost the assembly elections as Congress returned to power.

SMA Kazmi, a Dehradun-based political analyst, said the change of leadership within four months will increase the political instability in the state and alter various equations between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions as well as Thakurs and Brahmins. “Opposition Congress will again get an opportunity to target the government...(over) growing political instability...” He added there is also brewing discontent over unemployment and issues related to traders.

Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana said the people feel betrayed and can clearly see there is no political stability in the state. “With such instability and infighting, can they provide any relief or succour to people here? They are themselves in crisis.”

None of the state’s chief ministers barring Congress’s ND Tiwari have completed their five-year term in the state since it was formed in 2000.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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