Will BJP be able to break electoral past trends in Uttarakhand assembly elections?

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Dehradun: As Uttarakhand goes to the polls on Monday (February 14), political speculations are to see if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leader leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami be able to break past electoral trends, and come to power again. So far, the hill state has given mandates alternately to Congress and the BJP.

Congress, however, appears optimistic on the past trends and is banking upon its veteran and former CM Harish Rawat, besides other factors like anti-incumbency, COVID-19 pandemic management, and a slew of promises to make a comeback in the state.

The Aam Aadmi Party led by retired Colonel Ajay Kothiyal is trying to set up a new base in the state. Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are also testing their electoral strengths in the state, apart from the BJP and Congress, and AAP.

After Uttarakhand was formed after being carved out of Uttar Pradesh, the hill state has given mandates alternately to Congress and the BJP. The state has also witnessed the instability of governments due to frequent changes of Chief Ministers.

With the formation of the government in 2017, the BJP had chosen Trivendra Singh Rawat, MLA from the Doiwala seat, as its Chief Minister, but he was replaced by Tirath Singh Rawat in March 2021. Tirath Singh Rawat, a Lok Sabha MP, before the completion of six months from the date of taking the oath of the office, was replaced by Pushkar Singh Dhami, a sitting MLA as the CM of the state.

Tirath Singh Rawat, who was not an MLA, resigned from the post of CM, almost after four months of taking the oath. BJP quoted legal-technical issues as the reason for his resignation as the party failed to get him elected from one of the constituencies in the state for continuing him as the CM. 

The political reasons, however, for these changes were not fully disclosed. Among many reasons, the passage of Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board law, pushed by Trivendra Singh Rawat, was said to be one of the reasons for his resignation. The law aimed at bringing the Char Dham of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, and 49 other temples under the purview of a proposed shrine board, but there were protests against the law.

The law aimed at bringing the Char Dham of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, and 49 other temples under the purview of a proposed shrine board. The Pushkar Singh Dhami government withdrew the law. 

Ahead of assembly polls, Congress too faced factionalism in the state. It was the reason that Harish Rawat, chairman of Uttarakhand Congress campaign committee, launched a veiled attack on the Congress leadership over "lack of cooperation" from the state unit and party leaders in December last year.

Through a series of tweets, Rawat had stated that the "nominees of those whose directions one has to swim (in the electoral battle) are tying my hands and feet", adding "Isn`t it strange, one has to swim in the sea in the form of the forthcoming electoral battle. Instead of cooperation, the organizational structure at most places is turning its face away or is playing a negative role." 

Rawat further stated, "There are many crocodiles of the ruling dispensation on whose directions one has to swim. Their nominees are tying my hands and feet." Soon after his tweets, Rawat was called to Delhi to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to put the matter to rest.

During ticket distribution, another crisis was reported within the party which led to a change in the assembly seat of Rawat, who was given the ticket from the Lalkuwa constituency. The change was made after one of the working presidents of Uttarakhand Congress Ranjeet Rawat was uncomfortable with the candidature of Harish Rawat from the Ramnagar Assembly constituency.

Both Congress and BJP have not declared Chief Ministerial candidates and said such an announcement will be made after the results. 

On Sunday, Rawat told ANI that nobody in the party has any objections to his name as the Chief Ministerial candidate, adding "I do politics of struggle, not power. The party has told me that the election campaign will be led by me. We are fighting to win the elections. Nobody in the party has any objections to my name as the Chief Ministerial candidate. No party member has expressed any objection to my name."

There are 632 candidates in the electoral fray for 70 Assembly seats of Uttarakhand, while the counting of votes will take place on March 10. 

(With Agency Inputs)