Abrupt exit of Trivendra Singh Rawat comes amid growing dissatisfaction among top leaders

The abrupt exit of Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has come amid a growing feeling among party leaders that he was too dependent on the bureaucracy and has not been reaching out to the influential leaders in the party.

The main parties in Uttarakhand –– the BJP and Congress –– have often seen factional fights that have led to a change in leadership. Rawat’s departure is also said to be because of alleged discontentment among some of the ministers and MLAs.

The outgoing chief minister also failed to build a popular mood in favour of the party despite being in power for four years. Moreover, Rawat could not strengthen the overwhelming mandate that the party received in the last assembly elections in 2017 when it won 57 of the 70 seats.


What fuelled the fall of Rawat was also his “restricted dialogue” with his cabinet colleagues. “Major decisions like the creation of Gairsain as the summer capital was discussed with the cabinet colleagues at the last moment and led to unhappiness among many of them,” said a source in Uttarakhand.

According to him, the creation of Gairsain into a new commissionerate without involving the local MLAs and the public gave birth to the resentment among people of Kumaon region. “Ahead of the 2022 assembly polls, such decision matters for the ruling BJP. He should have discussed it properly with the MLAs and the party leaders of Kumaon region,” the source said.

Moreover, the change in BJP’s top leadership comes at a time when Congress stalwart and former CM Harish Rawat is very politically active on the ground. He has already toured most parts of the state.

Trivendra Rawat too had become active over the last three-four months but it was not enough to save his chair. His government was all set to organise a function to mark the completion of its four years in office on March 18.

Another grievance against Rawat was that he did not expand his cabinet in the past four years. “He could have inducted three more ministers into his cabinet. But, he could not do it. Many MLAs were eyeing for the ministerial berth,” another source told ET.