The newly sworn in chief minister of Uttarakhand Tirath Singh Rawat has several challenges in front of him , the biggest being to ensure the saffron party’s victory in the 2022 assembly elections with the anti incumbency factor the major dominant factor likely to go against them.
A chief minister considered to be quite a soft spoken, down to earth, affable in nature and non controvertial, not a part of any faction has been crowned with the chief ministership at such a crucial time, rewarded for unstinting loyalty, when the state elections are just a year ahead with the main opposition Congress posing it a formidable challenge, especially keeping in view the last two decades’ trend of opposition Congress forming government after the BJP rule and Vice Versa, unambiguously making the Congress’s chances more bright than the ruling saffron party.
The biggest challenge being confronted by the new CM is that he has inherited the immense disenchantment and annoyance of the state electorates due to the arrogant attitude of the former CM compounded with his preference for liquor policy annoying the women community of Uttarakhand including certain allegations of corruption, poor health services, deteriorating education system, unemployment on the rise, maneater deaths, land sharks allegedly active in the state, illegal mining on the rise and above all, the state’s fiscal deficit crossing collossal 50 thousand crores compelling the state treasury pay about seven thousand crores as interest annually for the KARZA, taken from various national and international agencies.
The alleged prevailing corruption in the state at various levels with inefficiency at the fore are also one of the prime reasons or factors that have annoyed the state’s electorates to the hilt. The increasing factionalism within the state BJP that led to the ouster of the former CM has also endangered the party’s chances to a great extent to claim victory in the 2022 elections say political analysts.
In addition to all this, the massive exodus of villagers n unemployed youth to the towns , cities inside the state n outside as well converting thousands of villages as ghost villages is also a major factor that has posed a direct challenge to the current chief minister.
Despite all this, his election as the state lawmakers within six months also pose a challenge to Tirath Singh Rawat. Though there are speculations that the present CM may contest from the seat of the deceased lawmaker Surendra Singh Jeena namely Salt in Kumaon division but sources reveal that MP from Pauri Garhwal, now CM as well Tirath Singh Rawat prefers to contest from a Pauri Garhwal assembly seat.
Sources reveal that he is eying in the Doiwala seat of the former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat who may probably be made to contest from the Pauri Garhwal parliamentary seat that will be vacant due to Tirath becoming the state CM. This mutual arrangement will suit both the present and the former CMs of Uttarakhand say sources. After the unceremonious exit of Trivendra Singh Rawat from the chief minister’s post there are reports that he may get responsible political position at the centre, he being quite in close proximity to the union home minister Amit Shah who had sworn him as the 8 th chief minister of the hilly state despite his being not so competent. It may be recalled that as per sources, the credit for bringing Tirath Singh Rawat goes to the outgoing CM Trivendra Singh Rawat who had outrightly opposed the name of Dhan Singh Rawat, Anil Baluni n Satpal Maharaj finally recommending the name of Tirath Singh Rawat, thus compelling the high command to agree on his name.
pic : twitter
