Immediately after returning from his three-day visit to Delhi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat submitted his resignation to Governor Babi Rani Maurya late on Friday (July 2) night. His resignation came after his meeting with home minister Amit Shah and party President J P Nadda. As election is due in February 2022, by-polls are usually not held for vacant seats if the tenure of the Assembly expires within a year. However, media reports suggest that the Election Commission is not keen on holding by-polls for two vacant seats because of COVID-19.
Tirath Singh Rawat replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat as the chief minister of the state on March 10 last. In that way, he should be elected member of the state Assembly before September 10.
So, Uttarakhand will now have a third chief minister within four months.
Political observers are surprised as to how the BJP top brass was not aware that the Election Commission normally does not hold by-poll within a year of the expiry of the tenure of the Assembly. “Why not an MLA was elected as the chief minister on March 10 itself when the BJP has 57 legislators in the House of 70?”, asked an analyst, adding that now the BJP is most likely to elect an MLA as chief minister.
Tirath Singh Rawat is at present member of Lok Sabha from Garhwal. Now that the BJP is busy in coping up with the latest crisis, the development in Uttarakhand has sent a wrong message even in poll-bound neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where Yogi Adityanath is facing a very stiff challenge after the second wave of corona virus.
