BJP faces an uphill challenge in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, Feb 13 While trying to create history of winning successive polls in Uttarakhand, the BJP is facing tough challenges in the Himalayan state.

The saffron party is trying to reverse the trend of government changing every five years in Uttarakhand, but it is facing many challenges from within as well.

Since its formation in 2000, power in Uttarakhand has changed hands every five years between the BJP and the Congress.

The Uttarakhand BJP also has plenty of problems. Notwithstanding a number of aspiring chief ministers, the BJP is also battling factionalism, rebellion from cadres in around eight Assembly constituencies, besides resentment of workers on the ground.

A senior party functionary said that while the BJP has given the slogan of 'Abki Baar 60 Paar' (this time over 60), getting a comfortable majority might be a challenging task as this time the elections are becoming more local between individual candidates, rather than the party or big names.

Another leader claimed that the situation, however, has improved and is better than what it was six months ago when the state government's popularity was at its lowest.

"The situation was worse six months ago. Many in the party, including me, believed that winning 20 seats will be a tough task. But things have improved in the last few months and we are hoping to form the government with a clear majority," he said.

Many in the saffron camp in Uttarakhand feel that anti-incumbency is the reason behind scrapping of many decisions of the state government, including the Char Dham board.

"Scrapping the Char Dham board showed that the government is unable to take key decisions, and it was done realising that even changing two chief ministers is not going to help the party in the Assembly polls," a party functionary said.

The BJP is leaving no stones unturned in cashing in on 'Brand Modi' in the Uttarakhand Assembly polls, but many feel that people have started differentiating between Narendra Modi's election and state elections.

"In 2017 there was a Modi wave during the Assembly polls, which ensured 57 seats out of 70 for the BJP. In this Assembly polls also, we are highlighting 'Brand Modi' but people have started differentiating between Modi's election (Parliament) and state (Assembly) elections. We are hopeful that the welfare work done by the Narendra Modi government, especially during the pandemic, will help the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls," said another leader.

The BJP is prominently using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image in Uttarakhand in several publicity videos, theme song and horadings across the state, showing him and his government's achievements. Free vaccines, ration and other welfare measures of the Centre are being highlighted by the state government in the run-up to the Assembly polls.

"Infighting and factionalism in the state unit is a major concern for the party leadership. Though over a period of time, the central leadership has tried to address the issues, but there are so many chief minister aspirants who are trying to derail the other, which ultimately hurts the party's interest," a leader said.

The leadership crisis issue is something that the Congress has been raising ahead of the polls. In March last year, the BJP had replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat by appointing Tirath Singh Rawat as the Chief Minister.

Four months later in July, Pushkar Singh Dhami replaced Tirath Singh Rawat. A Lok Sabha member, Tirath Singh Rawat was required to get elected to the state Assembly before September 10, 2021 to continue as the Chief Minister, which he failed to do.