From the centralization of power to the composition of his cabinet, the arrogance of the bureaucracy to the growing anti-incumbency, these were some of the factors that led to Trivendra Singh Rawat from BJP. resigning as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, and the party is likely to announce a replacement soon.
BJP sources said that while the party had been aware of the growing dissent against Rawat’s leadership for some time, the decision to fire him took hold after the visit of BJP Vice President Raman Singh and MP Rajya Sabha, Dushyant Gautam, to the state on March 7, where they met with MLA, RSS leaders and the Chief Minister. They said The Indian Express that the decision to remove Rawat had been made “almost certainly” even before Singh and Gautam were sent to Dehradun.
One source said that the fact that the central leaders were sent to the state was an indication that the party intended to act against Rawat. “If a solution had to be found, they could have quietly called him to Delhi. The writing was on the wall when the two great leaders were sent to Uttarakhand. What they reported after multiple conversations simply reinforced what was already known, ”the source said.
The centralization of power with the Office of the Chief Minister was one of the main causes of discontent among the MLA and other party leaders.
“Rawat had taken up to 45 departments, more than four or five times more than other ministers. There was anger within the party over that, in addition to its increasing dependence on the bureaucracy to run these departments. The complaint of the state leaders was that the bureaucracy was not controlled ”, said a senior leader.
The official website of the Uttarakhand government lists Home, Confidential, Personal, Surveillance and Law and Justice among others in a long list of departments under the CM.
Top leaders said there was also growing anger over the stalling of a cabinet expansion by the Chief Minister. While the Uttarakhand cabinet may have 12 ministers, there were only seven ministers, including the CM.
“Some leaders also complained that high-ranking party workers were being ignored. Of the nine ministers, five, Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Yashpal Arya, Subodh Uniyal and Rekha Arya, came from Congress, ”said a source. There was also discontent among Cabinet members over the control exercised by the CM Office and the bureaucracy.
Sources said one of the factors the central leadership had in mind in replacing Rawat was the election of the Assembly next year. Since its inception in 2000, the mountainous state has had four elections, with power alternating between the BJP and Congress. With anti-incumbency a major factor ahead of the 2022 elections, the party decided to act fast.
The fact that he is not considered a mass leader only made the party’s work easier.
“Rawat does not have a bad image… he does not stain corruption. Even in the pandemic and the Chamoli disaster, he did not do a bad job. But his leadership was not an inspiring impulse either, and there was a feeling that a choice under his command could prove difficult. Since he is not a mass leader, there is no cost attached. The feeling is that the prime minister and the party are still popular, so the momentum brought by a new prime minister will instill enthusiasm in the party, ”said one leader.
Multiple factors are being considered as the party focuses on a replacement for Rawat, BJP sources said, with Prime Minister Modi, BJP President JP Nadda and Interior Minister Amit Shah making the decision. final.
Sources said MPs Anil Baluni, Ajay Bhatt and Ramesh Poshriyal Nishank, and lawmakers Dhan Singh Rawat and Satpal Maharaj are among the favorites for the CM post.
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