The new CM faces a challenge to lead the party to victory in three by elections ahead of assembly elections of 2022.
Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat who was appointed by the central leadership of the BJP by replacing Trivendra Singh Rawat in an attempt to tide over the anti incumbency factor and diffuse discontent among the MLAs now face the acid test of three by elections. The by-election for the Salt assembly constituency in Almora district which fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Surendra Singh Jeena is scheduled on April 17. Though the opposition Congress has challenged the new CM to contest from Salt it is most likely that BJP would play the sympathy card and field elder brother of Surendra Singh Jeena which means that the BJP should find a safe seat for the CM who at present in the member of parliament (MP) from Garhwal to enter the state assembly. To fulfil the constitutional obligation of getting into the state assembly, Tirath Singh Rawat should also tender his resignation from his Garhwal Lok Sabha seat from where he was elected in the election of 2019 which would ensure another by election from this parliamentary seat.
These three by-elections would be major tests for the CM Tirath Singh Rawat ahead of assembly elections scheduled in early 2022. The by election of Salt would be the first test for the new CM. Late Surendra Singh Jeena had defeated his Congress rival Ganga Pancholi in the Salt assembly election of 2017 by a margin of 2904 votes. The Congress is likely to field either Pancholi or Vikram Singh Rawat who is son of former MLA Ranjit Rawat. The political analysts opine that though BJP would try to whip up emotions of the people, the Congress is in a position to pose a challenge to the BJP candidate. For entry of the CM in the state assembly the state unit of the BJP would find a safe seat for him in Garhwal. Tirath Singh Rawat had represented Chaubattakhal assembly constituency in the election of 2012 however he was denied a ticket by the party in 2017 and Satpal Maharaaz who had defected from Congress was given a ticket from there. Maharaaz now represents this seat and has expressed his unwillingness to leave his seat for Tirath Singh Rawat. The cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat has said that he is ready to leave Kotdwar seat for CM but considering the dynamics of the seat (in 2012 the then CM B C Khanduri lost from here) BJP could be wary of fielding the CM from here. The third test for the new CM would be to ensure that BJP candidate wins his Garhwal Lok Sabha seat. Riding on a Modi wave Tirath Singh Rawat had defeated Congress candidate Manish Khanduri by a record margin of over three lakh votes in the parliamentary election of 2019.
Wednesday, 24 March 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
