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Only 1 out of 8 Uttarakhand CMs completed 5 yrs in office. Rawat is latest to leave early

Uttarakhand has had 8 CMs so far, including Nityanand Swami (2000-2001) and Bhagat Singh Koshyari (2001-02), who occupied the chair before the state had its first election.

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New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned Tuesday, days after a team of observers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) brought back a dim assessment of the leader’s performance from the ground. 

His resignation comes a year before the hill state is scheduled to hold assembly elections. It again underscores how the 20-year-old state has been subjected to political instability over the years, having had as many as eight chief ministers since it was formed in 2000.

Except the late Narayan Dutt Tiwari (2002-07), not one CM has completed a five-year tenure. Out of the eight CMs, five were from the BJP, including Nityanand Swami (2000-2001) and Bhagat Singh Koshyari (2001-02), who occupied the chair before the state had its first election. 


Also Read: Uttarakhand CM Rawat moves SC against Nainital HC order for CBI probe into graft charges


Incomplete tenures  

Congress leader Tiwari became the first elected chief minister in 2002 and served till 7 March 2007. Fellow Congressman Harish Rawat served for two years from February 2014 to March 2016, followed by a spell of President’s rule. He again served as chief minister from 21 April 2016 to 22 April 2016, and 11 May 2016 to 18 March 2017. 

The first elected BJP CM of Uttarakhand was B.C. Khanduri, who took charge on 7 March 2007, but could only continue till 26 June 2009. When Khanduri resigned taking moral responsibility for the BJP’s poor performance in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in the state, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ — now the Union Education Minister — took over.  

Pokhriyal’s term was also limited to about two years as he resigned in 2011.  His government was mired in corruption allegations and he was asked to resign by the BJP as the party didn’t want its image to take a hit ahead of the assembly elections in 2012. 

The party subsequently announced that Khanduri — then 76 years old — would replace him. Khanduri served as CM until March 2012.

However, the 2012 election brought a major setback for Khanduri and the BJP, as not only did the former lose his seat but the BJP was unable to form the government, having won 31 seats against the Congress’ 32 in the 70-member assembly.  

Congress leader Vijay Bahugana took over as Chief Minister and continued till 31 January 2014.

However, Bahugana had to resign in 2014, on the directive of the party high command, as part of an organisational revamp. He had reportedly been under the scanner for non-performance, especially in light of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. 

Congress leader Harish Rawat, who had threatened to quit the party in 2012 when he was not made CM despite having support of the MLAs, took over.

Rawat’s journey as chief minister was not easy either. In March 2016, President’s rule was imposed in Uttarakhand after nine Congress MLAs rebelled and joined hands with the BJP. However, the Speaker revoked their membership under the anti-defection law. The President’s rule had to be withdrawn after Rawat won a court-monitored floor test in the assembly. Following this, he continued as Chief Minister from 11 May 2016 till 18 March 2017. In between, he returned as CM for a day, when the Supreme Court kept in abeyance an Uttarakhand High Court order setting aside President’s Rule.

The BJP won the 2017 assembly elections with a huge majority of 57 seats and Trivendra Singh Rawat took over as chief minister. His tenure came under the scanner over allegations of non-performance.


Also Read: After 13 months, BJP revokes suspension of Uttarakhand MLA seen dancing with guns


 

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2 COMMENTS

  1. While this small, beautiful hill state has been seeing a lot of managerial turnover, there is a larger problem at work. Increasingly, important appointments are being made on purely ideological considerations. Little thought being given to potential administrative acumen and ability. Perhaps even basic political skills. Ordinary citizens pick up the tab. At some stage, they will express themselves while voting.

  2. Except for Harish Rawat, all former Chief Ministers, including those from the Congress, are today in the BJP. The party either made the guys defect or welcomed them to the party!

    Great job!

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