Gajendra Singh Negi | Derhadun
Expansion message
By affecting the much awaited expansion of his cabinet, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has not only tried to strike regional and caste equations in the Himalayan State ahead of the crucial Vidhan Sabha elections of 2027, but has also given a clear message to his detractors, both outside and inside the ruling BJP, that the central leadership of the party has full faith in him. It is also clear that the saffron outfit, which has a history of changing the commander ahead of the battle of Vidhan Sabha elections in Uttarakhand has decided to enter in the electoral battle of 2027 under the leadership of CM Dhami. With the Vidhan Sabha elections less than a year away, the clarity that BJP will contest the elections on works and achievements of its government under Dhami not only makes things easier for the ruling party leaders to device their electoral plans but also will help the opposition Congress to prepare their strategy on anti- Dhami plank.
Executive headache
The failure of Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal to constitute the new State executive of the party despite his earnest efforts after assuming the reins of the State party unit in November last year has again exposed the deep fissure lines in the party. Pertinently, the PCC has not been constituted in the State since 2021 and ahead of the make or break Vidhan Sabha elections of 2027, it is imperative that it should be reconstituted and revamped in order to infuse a new lease of life in the party organisation which at present appears moribund due to successive defeats in the parliamentary and assembly elections in the Himalayan State. However, the internal dynamics of the party where senior leaders like Harish Rawat, Ganesh Godiyal, Yashpal Arya, Pritam Singh, Harak Singh Rawat and Karan Mahara seems to walk in opposite directions instead of presenting a united front to meet the challenge of the formidable BJP, the task of constituting PCC is not easy.
Murder capital?
Dehradun, the provisional State capital once known for its natural beauty and peaceful environs is fast turning into a hotbed of crimes. The city has witnessed a series of murders in recent times and the brutal killing of a 22-year-old BTech student, Divyanshu Jatrana in Premnagar area in what is being termed as a gang war among the students on caste and regional lines has put the law and order machinery of the capital in a poor light. The murder of Divyanshu when seen along with of murder of Anjel Chakma, a student of Tripura in the Premnagar area which houses many universities and colleges, in December 26 last year, shows that the student violence in the capital is on the rise. It is advisable that the administration, police and the management of the universities and colleges should put their heads together to put an urgent check on student rowdyism. The civic society, the hostel and PG owners should also be involved in the deliberation to check the menace.
