Work for choosing new U’khand BJP chief begins

As the tenure of state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Tirath Singh Rawat is ending this month, the party high-command has initiated the exercise of choosing the right candidate for the post. The party in-charge Shyam Jaju is expected to reach state capital on October 23 to discuss with senior party leaders.

The chances of selecting one of five BJP MPs from Uttarakhand is thin, as other leaders who were denied ticket for Lok Sabha elections, can create problems. The factionalism among former state CMs Major General Khanduri, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Bhagat Singh Koshyari is not a secret even to party’s national headquarters.    

The rising popularity of Chief Minister Harish Rawat is posing constant threat to opposition BJP in Uttarakhand. CM himself has admitted that he fears from his own party workers’ differences than BJP as far as 2017 assembly elections are concerned. However, he has perfect command over his cabinet colleagues and party MLAs as no disgruntled voices was ever heard during his one and half year tenure as CM. Only anti-incumbency factor can be a hurdle for the Congress to repeat the feat.