BJP strikes caste, region balance in Uttarakhand CM, state President appointment

Bharatiya Janata Party, keeping in mind the caste and regional equations in Uttarakhand has decided to keep a balance by appointing a Rajput and a Brahmin as its Chief Minister and state unit chief respectively. By the appointment of Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat and state unit President Madan Kaushik the party has ensured that the two dominant castes are adequately accommodated in the state.

The party has decided not to upset the equilibrium of caste in the orgsation and replaced the Brahmin state chief with another Brahmin leader. Bansidhar Bhagat, a Brahmin from Kumaon has been replaced by Madan Kaushik who is a Brahmin from the plains and a four-time MLA from Haridwar constituency.

Party sources stated that the appointments reiterated the dominance of Rajput and Brahmins in the state. Another deciding factor in the appointments was the regions from which these leaders hail from.

The party, facing a threat from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party in the upcoming Assembly elections, scheduled for 2022, has decided to overhaul its state unit while keeping the factors of caste and region in consideration, sources added.

According to senior leaders in the party, Kaushik who hails from the plains and has a considerable influence in the region will prove to be instrumental in thwarting any attempt by AAP to penetrate the region. AAP has announced that it will contest Assembly elections in the state.

However, the party has been under attack for giving too much importance to Garhwal and neglecting Kumaon.

With Kumaon Brahmin, Bansidhar Bhagat, being removed as state chief, sources in the party stated that Kumaon will get adequate representation in Tirath Singh Rawat's cabinet, scheduled for later today.

Sources also said that Bhagat is likely to be inducted into the Cabinet to ensure that the Kumaon region, too, gets fair representation.

The changes in the Uttarakhand government and state unit come in the wake of Trivendra Singh's resignation earlier this week.

The next Assembly polls in the state are scheduled to take place in 2022.

The BJP had swept the elections in 2017, winning 57 seats in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly. Congress, on the other hand, were able to win just 11 seats.

( With inputs from ANI )