Speculation about new Uttarakhand CM is throwback to 2012

Tirath Singh Rawat, Lok Sabha MP from Garhwal, was sworn-in as the chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 10, replacing Trivendra Singh Rawat.

Speculation that Uttarakhand could have a new chief minister in the run-up to the 2022 assembly elections is a throwback to the five year period between 2007-12 when the state saw a change in its leadership thrice.

Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat. (Photo @TIRATHSRAWAT)

The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership is yet to formally announce a decision with regard to whether the current CM, Tirath Singh Rawat, will continue in the position or not. The CM’s meeting with BJP president JP Nadda on Friday, the second such this week, has fuelled speculation about a possible change in the leadership.

“If the current chief minister is replaced because of a technical reason it will be difficult to convince people that he was removed for administrative purposes, it gives the opposition ammunition against the BJP,” said a party functionary.

Rawat, who was appointed the chief minister in March this year replacing Trivendra Singh Rawat is facing a crisis as he has not yet been elected as a member of the state assembly; as per rules, he should be a member by September. Since the state is scheduled to pick a new assembly in a little over six months, the election commission can take a decision of not holding the bypolls. In that scenario, Rawat cannot continues as the CM.

This is not the first time though that the state has seen a change within a five year term of the government. In 2007, BC Khanduri was elected as the CM and continued in the seat for two years and 111 days after which he was replaced by Ramesh Pokhariyal who also stayed in office for around two years and 75 days between 2009 and 2011. In September 2011, Khanduri made a comeback and served another 184 days in the top job.

Incidentally, there is speculation that Pokriyal, who currently serves as the Union minister for human resource development, is also on the list of contenders for the CM’s post.

“The state came into being in 2000 but has had only one chief minister who completed a full term - Congress’ ND Tiwari. Between 2012 and 2017, Vijay Bahuguna was in the chief minister’s chair for about one year plus, he was replaced by Harish Rawat who had three stints as the chief minister and in between, there was President’s rule for 25 days,” said another BJP functionary from the state.

The state unit is in a quandary over the frequent changes in the leadership. The first functionary said, the changes send a message that the leaders were dropped for poor performance, which in turn can affect the party’s performance in the state election.