Rahul’s move increases pressure for change within Uttarakhand BJP

New Delhi. A move by Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has placed the BJP in a major crisis in Uttarakhand. Following this move, pressure on the BJP high command to implement changes in the state has increased. By giving state responsibilities to three prominent leaders from the Garhwal region, Rahul Gandhi has strengthened the party organization in an election year. Furthermore, Congress has also addressed caste equations with these appointments, sparking a stir for change within the BJP. State President Ganesh Godiyal is a Brahmin, while Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya is a Dalit. Similarly, Pritam Singh, from the tribal region, is responsible for the campaign committee, while Harak Singh Rawat, from the Rajput community, is responsible for election management. Congress also has a prominent figure from the Rajput community. Compared to these leaders, the BJP appears weak on every front.

  It will not be easy for Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and State President Mahendra Bhatt to overcome these leaders. Chief Minister Dhami is already under Congress scrutiny due to corruption allegations. As for Mahendra Bhatt, he is not considered a strong leader. The party wanted to establish a Brahmin as the face of Garhwal, so he was given the responsibility of the president’s post. The BJP high command’s strategy has been to appoint a weak person to the position of president in front of the Chief Minister. This is the situation in most states.

  Congress has maintained both caste balance and regional balance. Three prominent leaders from Garhwal have been given responsibilities, while the party has two prominent faces from the Kumaon region. Former Chief Minister Rawat and Legislative Party leader Arya are from Kumaon. The remaining three leaders are from Garhwal. More than half of the assembly seats are from Garhwal. Consequently, Congress has focused on Garhwal by assigning responsibilities to three prominent leaders. Chief Minister Dhami hails from Kumaon, but he faces the most opposition in his own region. Protests are ongoing against him in several cities. The same situation persists in the Garhwal region. Chief Minister Dhami has been unable to establish his hold across Uttarakhand in the past five years. In the past year, widespread resentment against his government has been felt throughout the state. Corruption has become a major issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself witnessed the outrage against Dhami during his November 9 rally. The public began leaving midway through the speech without listening to it. The IB has described the Uttarakhand report as very worrying. Nitish in Bihar  Following the formation of Kumar’s government, the BJP high command is now preparing to make changes in its weaker states. Uttarakhand is also among these weak states. State President Ganesh Godiyal’s image is considered cleaner than that of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. It is almost certain that if the BJP high command does not replace Dhami, the Congress will surround the government by making corruption a major issue. There is tremendous anger against Chief Minister Dhami and his government in Uttarakhand. The situation is also not favorable for current ministers and MLAs. They are already facing opposition in the region. Public anger is directed towards basic amenities. The Dhami government focused on Government of India schemes and completely ignored the state’s problems. The condition of education, health, electricity, water, and roads remained poor, forcing people to take to the streets against the government in most areas of the state.  The law and order situation has deteriorated from bad to worse. The mountains have fallen into the grip of mafias. There is no enthusiasm in Uttarakhand regarding the state’s 25th anniversary. Seeing the growing anger against the BJP, Congress has made a wise move by handing over the reins to Godiyal again. There is resentment against the Dhami government throughout Uttarakhand, which will directly benefit Congress. If the BJP high command makes changes and introduces new faces, the elections will become interesting. Currently, the Congress has the upper hand. End