Sunday, 04 July 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
BJP has made seven, Congress four CMs in their rule of 10 years each in the state
The young and second time MLA from Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar, Pushkar Singh Dhami would be the eleventh chief minister of the state which came into existence after bifurcation of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh (UP) on 9 November 2000. It is interesting to note that both BJP and Congress have ruled the state for 10 years each but when it comes to the post of chief minister (CM), the BJP has been more frequent in changing them. The BJP has so far given seven CMs to the state while Congress has given four CMs. In fact BJP has changed the CM three times each in its both tenures in the state.
After the creation of the state, BJP appointed Nityanand Swami as chief minister but changed him before he could complete one year in office and appointed Bhagat Singh Koshyari in his place. In the first assembly elections held in the year 2002, Congress party swept to power in the state and veteran Narayan Dutt Tiwari was made the CM. Tiwari is the only person who remained CM for his full term of five years. In March 2007 BJP came to power and Major Gen B C Khanduri was made the CM. Following resentment among the MLAs he was asked to step down on 26 June 2009 and Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’ was made CM in his place. However the party again changed the CM ahead of the elections and Khanduri was reappointed on the coveted position and the party went to the assembly elections of 2012 with slogan ‘ Khanduri Hai Jaruri’. This slogan however failed and the BJP conceded the power to the Congress in the year 2012 which made Vijay Bahuguna the CM of the state. Handling of the Kedarnath disaster and constant opposition by Harish Rawat forced the Congress to replace Bahuguna with Rawat. Bahuguna eventually led the famous coup against Harish Rawat when nine MLAs of Congress joined BJP in March 2016. Rawat however managed to retain power after winning a legal battle. In the assembly elections of 2017 BJP controlled the state with an overwhelming majority ( 56 MLAs in the house of 70) and everyone believed that the game of musical chairs in the position of CM would come to an end. However in an unexpected turn of events the party replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat after four years and with Garhwal MP Tirath Singh Rawat. The tenure of Tirath Singh Rawat proved to be the shortest ( 114 days) and the party has now replaced him with someone who would be the youngest CM of the state.
