DISCONTENT IN UTTARAKHAND BJP A WAKE-UP CALL FOR LEADERSHIP

BJP leaders upset with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, may desert party.

With the discontent growing among the Uttarakhand BJP leaders, the party may be in for a big trouble in the hill state. If the party high command does not take a call at the earliest about the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, then it won’t be able to save the BJP from splitting in Uttarakhand.

It might be a situation akin to what is happening in West Bengal where scores of

TMC leaders are switching sides and are joining the BJP in what is being understood to be a formula of the saffron party itself.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has also thrown its hat in the electoral ring in Uttarakhand, is not averse to welcoming the leaders coming from other political outfits. Certain disgruntled BJP leaders at district levels have started joining AAP. What is in the air is that several senior leaders including ministers and MLAS are also in touch with AAP.

They are all unhappy with the Trivendra government, which, according to them, is being controlled by a handful of people. These disgruntled leaders feel to have been ignored by the government and the Chief Minister. The CM is facing several allegations of corruption. Even his own people are levelling allegations against him. What is worrisome is that unemployment has gone up in the state, with the number of registered jobless people touching 9 lakh mark. The government is accused of giving rise to corruption in the name of development. Those, considered close to CM, are not hopeful of the party getting back to power after the elections early next year.

Going by the political tradition, Uttarakhand has elected Congress and BJP government alternatively every five years. So, this time it could be the Congress’ turn to be in power. But the AAP has consolidated itself tremendously by dint of a massive mass contact programme in the last one year. The weakness of the Trivendra government has added to the strength of the AAP as well.

When the BJP high command had appointed Rawat as CM, there were a lot of expectations from him. Hailing from an ordinary family, Trivendra was well aware of the problems of local people. He was expected to improve road, education and health conditions of the state. Trivendra was also expected to create job opportunities for the youth of the state. But it all came a cropper. Let alone other areas, even CM’S own hometown Pauri Garhwal is in a bad shape. The road connecting Kumaon and Garhwal could not be constructed even till date. That the CM did not take any initiation was a clear message.

Roads and bridges for the Kumbh were being built for several long years but the roads near Haridwar could be completed after the intervention of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways.

So, CM Trivendra Singh Rawat does not have any work to showcase for the elections. Whatever development has happened is because of the Central government’s efforts.

The group of officials who are advising the CM does not have any knowledge of the problems in Hill states, as they do not belong to this region. All the key offices were opened in the Terai region, thereby ignoring the problems of the Hill areas. At the same time, the CM stopped meeting people and his own party workers. This angered all the rank and file of the party apart from common people.

AAP gauged the mood and started working hard. Uttarakhand is already known for turncoats. Several Congress leaders had joined BJP last time. This is what is happening in West Bengal now. Strategists believe that if the high command did not take timely action then there is every possibility of a big group of leaders deserting the saffron party to join other political outfits in the state.