UTTARAKHAND CHIEF MINISTER Pushkar Singh Dhami is no stranger to the unpredictability that comes with inclement weather. That is why, after being forced to cancel a flight from Haridwar to Ranikhet on February 3 because of heavy rains and snowfall, he quickly made the most of his remaining day and travelled to his constituency—Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar district.
Khatima is around 250km from Haridwar. Because of the weather, Dhami could reach Chakkarpur, a village in Khatima, only at 9pm—six hours behind schedule. Despite the delay, more than 1,000 supporters were waiting to greet him when he arrived at the rice mill that was the venue of his rally. “I am glad to see your energy level,” Dhami told the audience amid cheers. “Even the rains have not stopped you. I feel energised by your presence. I am confident that no one can stop the BJP from coming to power.”
Dhami, 46, is up against Harish Rawat, veteran Congress leader and former chief minister, and Col (retd) Ajay Kothiyal of the Aam Aadmi Party. The AAP is contesting for the first time in Uttarakhand, but the party is posing a stiff challenge to both the BJP and the Congress.
Since its formation in 2000, Uttarakhand has alternated between the BJP and the Congress in assembly polls. Incumbent chief ministers have not returned to power. Nityanand Swamy lost in 2002, B.C. Khanduri in 2012, and Harish Rawat lost both the seats he contested in 2017.
Uttarakhand has two administrative divisions: Garhwal and Kumaon. The Garhwal division has more political heft: 41 of 70 assembly seats are in the region. The BJP’s big leaders—such as former chief ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal, Tirath Singh Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat—are from Garhwal. The Congress’s prominent faces—such as Govind Ballabh Pant, N.D. Tiwari, Harish Rawat and Indira Hridayesh—have been from Kumaon. The state has had 11 chief ministers in 20 years; only one, N.D. Tiwari, completed a full term.
The past one year alone has seen three chief ministers. The controversy related to the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act, which angered priests as it allowed the government to take control of major temples in the state, has been one of the reasons for the political turmoil. The mismanagement of the Kumbh Mela last year, and a Covid test scam that came to light during the time, provided opposition parties ammunition to attack the BJP.
The BJP maintains that the uncertainties and the changes at the helm will not impact results. “Changing the CM is an internal matter of the party that should not have an impact on the voter’s mind. Uttarakhand has witnessed massive development work in the past five years,” Bansidhar Bhagat, minister and candidate in Kaladhungi constituency, told THE WEEK.
The outflow of job aspirants from the state is a major poll issue. Demographic changes, poor infrastructure and connectivity, and inadequate health services have also become talking points. “Our fight is against the last five years of BJP misrule,” Harish Rawat told THE WEEK. “From large-scale unemployment to massive mining, the people of this devbhumi are completely frustrated.”
The Congress has promised four lakh new jobs, 40 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, a new land reform law, improved facilities for pilgrims, LPG gas cylinders that cost less than Rs500, and an income guarantee scheme to help unemployed youth. The BJP, on the other hand, is banking on infrastructure projects that would offer better connectivity to far-flung areas.
Observers say that the Modi wave that helped the BJP bag 57 of 70 seats in 2017 is not visible this time. People are assessing candidates rather than parties. Creating problems for both the BJP and the Congress are rebels and turncoats. Rebels have made things difficult for the BJP in 16 constituencies; the Congress is facing similar problems in 12.
In Tehri, the BJP has fielded former state Congress president Kishore Upadhyaya, while the Congress candidate is incumbent MLA Dhan Singh Negi, who recently quit the BJP. Similarly, in Nainital, the BJP has fielded Sarita Arya, former chief of the women’s cell of the Congress, against Sanjiv Arya, son of former transport minister Yashpal Arya. Sanjiv and Yashpal had left the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2017 elections. Last year, though, both of them returned to the Congress.
“It was my biggest mistake to join the BJP, which is not a democratic party,” Yashpal, who is contesting from Bajpur, told THE WEEK. “I felt suffocated there. I am thankful that the Congress accepted me back.”
The AAP is expected to play spoilsport in most seats. Kothiyal, its chief minister candidate, is well-known across the state for his contributions towards reconstructing Kedarnath after the 2013 flash floods. Under him, the AAP has promised to end corruption and give free education, medical treatment and electricity to all. It has also offered monthly allowances of Rs1,000 to all women and Rs5,000 a month to all unemployed youth.
“I am a fauji (soldier) who worked for the nation,” said Kothiyal. “Now I will work for my state.”