Tirath Singh Rawat, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, has requested an appointment with the state governor this evening, despite rumors that he will quit only four months after taking office.
Tirath Rawat had been in Delhi for three days and had met with the BJP leadership many times. He sought an appointment with Governor Baby Rani Maurya shortly after his meeting with BJP President JP Nadda this afternoon.
Mr Rawat was sworn in as Chief Minister in March, barely a year before the Uttarakhand poll, amid intense opposition to his predecessor, Trivendra Rawat.
Mr Rawat, who is an MP, would have to win an assembly seat and become a member of the Uttarakhand legislative assembly by September 10 in order to maintain his job.
Given the Covid issue and the enormous controversy surrounding the March-April election in five states, as well as growing viral infections in the second surge, the Election Commission’s announcement of by-polls looked implausible.
According to NDTV, the Election Commission is engaging with several states on elections. “There are a lot of by-elections coming up. The Covid issue is a key factor to consider “today morning, according to sources.
The new Chief Minister, to to the BJP’s dismay, did not do much better than his predecessor in terms of defusing infighting and winning over opponents.
Satpal Maharaj and Dhan Singh Rawat, according to sources, have again given signals to the leadership that they want to replace Mr Rawat. Trivendra Rawat had also been challenged, but the party had picked Tirath Rawat at the time.
Tirath Rawat’s short tenure was marred by controversy. Uttarakhand BJP officials had protested to the Delhi leadership about popular outrage over some of his statements.
Mr Rawat even made his party seem bad by attacking his predecessor’s policy choices.
Mr Rawat made widely criticised remarks about women wearing torn jeans shortly after assuming office. He also claimed that the United States, not the United Kingdom, governed India for 200 years.
His management of the Kumbh Mela during the peak of the Covid surge, as well as his remark that “no RT-PCR test was necessary,” sparked outrage.
According to insiders, the BJP resolved to limit its losses even if it meant presenting chaos in the hill state.
