Changing Uttarakhand CM may spell trouble for BJP in elections

DEHRADUN: Amid rumours of the ruling BJP deciding to replace the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, political experts pointed out that historically such a move has never benefitted the ruling parties in the following elections.“The change in leadership has always been detrimental to the future of both Congress and BJP who are the main contenders to power in Uttarakhand for the last 20 years,” said Jaswant Singh Rawat, a political commentator.

The BJP changed the chief minister in 2002, in 2009 and again in 2011 before losing the state to the Congress in 2012. Similarly, after the 2013 Kedarnath flash-floods, the Congress replaced CM Vijay Bahuguna with Harish Rawat but lost the elections in 2017.The speculations began after former chief minister Harish Rawat, in a Facebook post, said the state BJP government was pushing Uttarakhand into a “state of instability”. 

CM Trivendra Singh hit back saying that the Congress leader’s statement might have been made in the wake of the “poor condition of Congress party”. Rumours got so strong that media adviser of the Uttarakhand chief minister took it to social media to dismiss any talks of change.“Everyone has the liberty to post on social media but remember false information is damaging to one’s reputation. It is laughable that such rumours are being fanned which have no resemblance to reality,” said CM’s media advisor Ramesh Bhatt.Rumours also suggested out that the newly formed guidelines on mining have fuelled the change as a senior minister has been allegedly conspiring against the chief minister.

Politics of Change
In November 2000, Uttarakhand carved out of erstwhile UP

•  Nityanand Swami becomes CM
•  In 2002, Bhagat Singh Koshyari replaced him.BJP lost to the Congress in 2002
•  In 2007, the BJP won the state.
•  In 2009 and 2011, the CM was changed.BJP lost to the Congress in 2012 

In 2013, CM Vijay Bahuguna replaced by Harish Rawat. Congress lost to BJP in 2017