DEHRADUN: Nearly 26 years after Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, the political balance between its two regions — Garhwal and Kumaon — is back in focus following fresh appointments in the BJP’s central organisation.
The inclusion of several prominent Garhwal leaders in the party’s central team has surprised some political observers, while others view it as an effort to maintain regional balance, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister Ajay Tamta representing Kumaon.
The BJP’s representation in the state government and its state and central organisations suggests a growing influence of Garhwal, with Pauri Garhwal emerging as an important political centre ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Several prominent Garhwal leaders, including Satpal Maharaj, Ganesh Joshi, Dhan Singh Rawat and Subodh Uniyal, hold key positions in the state government. Madan Kaushik, Bharat Chaudhary and Pradeep Batra are also important figures in the BJP’s wider political structure.
While the government and party setup appears to have a strong Garhwal presence, Dhami’s Kumaon roots provide a counterbalance. Leaders such as Rekha Arya and Ram Singh Kaira also represent the region in the state’s political establishment.
The appointment of former Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni and Alok Bhatt to the BJP’s central team, announced by Nitin Nabin, has added to the discussion. All three are associated with Pauri Garhwal.
Pauri’s influence is visible across different levels of the party. Besides the three leaders appointed to the central team, Satpal Maharaj, Dhan Singh Rawat and Bharat Chaudhary remain important state-level figures. BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt is also associated with the Pauri Lok Sabha constituency.
Senior journalist and political analyst Avikal Thapliyal said Tirath Singh Rawat’s appointment had effectively ended his “political exile”.
“It was necessary for the party to accommodate him. In recent months, he had been criticising the government, though in a restrained manner, and that was making the state leadership uncomfortable. The move may also be described as a pre-emptive damage-control exercise, ” Thapliyal said.
Political commentator Bhagirath Sharma said the BJP may be expecting a tougher electoral challenge in Garhwal than in Kumaon in 2027.
“My informal conversations with party leaders indicate that the leadership expects greater difficulties in Garhwal,” Sharma told TNIE. “The calculation appears to be that Kumaon can be managed because Chief Minister Dhami is performing well. The organisational restructuring, therefore, gives greater attention to Garhwal.”
The recent appointments have brought the BJP’s regional balancing strategy back into focus as the party prepares for the 2027 Assembly elections.