Trivendra Singh Rawat, a senior BJP leader, put the ball in the party leadership’s court on Saturday, ahead of the BJP’s legislature party meeting to choose the new chief minister of Uttarakhand following Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation. “Neither earlier nor today, I was a participant in the race. At today’s meeting, the legislative party leader will be elected “Rawat, Trivendra Singh
Tirath Singh Rawat resigned late Friday, just four months after the Bharatiya Janata Party appointed him to the position (BJP). He took over from Trivendra Singh Rawat, who had been Uttarakhand’s chief minister since March 2017 but had to resign because the BJP wanted him out.
Several MLAs have expressed dissatisfaction with Trivendra Singh Rawat, who is accused of keeping many of his cabinet colleagues out of decision-making. The unrest was growing, and by February, it had reached a crescendo. 13 legislators wrote to the BJP’s central leadership earlier this year, criticising Trivendra Singh Rawat’s work style and accusing him of not listening to them.
And the resignation of his successor, Tirath Singh Rawat, brought an end to a contentious tenure that was supposed to help the party regain popularity in the state. Tirath Singh Rawat was chastised for allowing the Mahakumbh despite an increase in Covid-19 cases and widespread testing fraud during the mega fair.
Rawat, 57, resigned on Friday night, citing the Election Commission’s (EC) inability to hold by-elections due to Covid-19. However, an EC official stated that no request for a by-poll had been made, but that precedents may have allowed it. If the chief minister is not a member of the legislature, he or she must be elected within six months of taking office. When an assembly’s remaining term is less than a year, the EC does not usually hold by-polls to fill vacant seats.
On Saturday, the BJP will hold its legislature party meeting, which will be chaired by state unit president Madan Kaushik and attended by all of the party’s MLAs, to name a new leader.
Rawat, 57, resigned on Friday night, citing the EC’s inability to hold by-elections as a result of Covid-19. However, an EC official stated that no request for a by-poll was made, but that precedents may have allowed it to happen. A chief minister must be elected within six months of taking office if he or she is not a member of the assembly. When an assembly’s remaining term is less than a year, the EC does not typically hold by-polls to fill vacant constituencies.
The BJP is holding a legislative party meeting on Saturday to name a new leader, which will be chaired by state unit president Madan Kaushik. All of the party’s MLAs have been invited to attend.
