Increasing defections in Uttarakhand is the result of fear of several lawmakers losing tickets in the ensuing assembly elections

The ongoing defections in BJP and Congress in Uttarakhand has generated a competition between both the parties as to which political party proves it mettle and impresses the electorates of the state regarding it’s enhancing prestige by bringing most MLAs into their fold respectively.

However, the main reason for shifting loyalties and joining rival parties according to internal reliable sources is that – certain heavy weight leaders and lawmakers are apprehensive of losing their tickets in the ensuing elections especially in the saffron party which is likely to cut fifteen to twenty tickets with several of them being the ones who had defected to BJP from Congress in 2017 n some BJP sitting MLAs too, including those having not performed well in their constituencies drawing anti incumbency risks.

Since the anti incumbency factor is dominating against the ruling BJP government in Uttarakhand despite best efforts of its CM Dhami, the BJP high command is in no mood to take any risks and may go for an overhaul in the ticket distribution by cutting maximum tickets of sitting lawmakers and bringing young fresh faces who could win on majority of seats.

The ruling party has already kept a target of more than 60 seats to be achieved this time and the C voter survey has already enhanced it’s morale as the winning party with more than 40 assembly seats at the hustings.

It may be recalled that in Delhi municipal elections and in Gujarat the Bhartiya Janata Party had already changed the sitting councillors and lawmakers with fresh faces to kill the anti incumbency risks and had won on good number of seats ruling in three corporations in Delhi and in Gujarat as well.

It now wants to repeat the same pattern in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand with at least twenty lawmakers to loose their tickets ( in UK) .

This has made several leaders in saffron party apprehensive especially those who were Congress rebels and joined BJP in 2017 say sources.

They are now trying to change loyalties and want to join Congress desperately, particularly finding Congress more near to victory than BJP in the ensuing elections.

Recently there were rumours of two important BJP lawmakers joining Congress one Dr. Harak Singh Rawat and another Mr. Kau but were appeased by senior leaders of BJP giving them promise of making Kau a minister.

However, in Congress former CM n veteran leader Harish Rawat has applied an embargo in the admission of the former Congress rebels, now in BJP, to Congress party saying that since they had committed a sin of destroying his govt in 2016/ 17 n joined BJP by way of horse trading they can’t be taken back unless they publicly apologise. The reference of adamant Harish Rawat was for Dr.Harak Singh Rawat about whom speculations were rife that he desperately want to join Congress ranks again.

However, Harish Rawat’s bete noire n former state president, now opposition leader Pritam Singh is of different opinion saying that they are welcome in Congress and the decision depends on the central High command, clearly opposing former CM’s condition of seeking public apology.

It may be recalled that the Congress party is faction ridden with ” Khemebaazi, and rivalry between Harish Rawat and Pritam Singh n their respective camps trying to downgrade each other eyeing on the chief ministers chair desperately, continuing for long.