BJP begins process of government formation in Uttarakhand,Satpal Maharaj emerges as front runner for CM's post

NEW DELHI: BJP has begun the exercise for government formation in Uttarakhand ahead of the second leg of the budget session of Parliament. BJP general secretary in charge of West Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya, has kept aside his election management responsibilities and returned to the national capital to coordinate his party’s efforts in Uttarakhand on the directions of the leadership.

He held closed door meetings with potential CM candidates Satpal Maharaj and Bhagat Singh Koshyari, at the party’s national headquarters. Vijayvargiya also held separate meetings with BJP national spokesperson Anil Baluni, who hails from the state, to firm up party’s strategy.

“Uttarakhand’s political situation was discussed.... The situation of indecision should not persist for long,” Vijayvargiya told ET about his back to back meetings with CM hopefuls. Vijayvargiya, who coordinated BJP’s efforts to dislodge the Congress government, however, avoided spelling out the party’s plan, citing the hearing in the high court.

However, he dropped hints that the BJP was not averse to forming an alternate government if the court orders a trial of strength. “We had a majority then (on March 18 when a division was demanded on the Budget) and we have the majority now. We can prove it if any opportunity is given to us,” Vijayvargiya told ET after his meeting with Koshyari before heading for a separate meeting with Maharaj.

His statement assumes significance as the Speaker had disqualified 9 Congress MLAs for anti-party activities. Their support was counted for the ‘majority’ claim BJP had made in March. According to a party insider, Maharaj, Koshyari and Anil Baluni have been asked to keep the flock of BJP and rebel Congress MLAs together, while waiting for more defection from Congress.

The insider said that the BJP would prefer a Thakur chief minister to avoid backlash over Harish Rawat’s ouster. This puts Maharaj and Koshyari as front-runners. The former seems to have the edge among the two as he is seen to have the ability to engineer more defections from the Congress. Officially, party leaders played down the CM race saying, “whatever Amit Shah will decide will be final.”