BackUttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat resigns; BJP to meet tomorrow
'The party has now decided that the opportunity to serve as CM should be given to someone else now,' says RawatEarlier today, Rawat arrived at Raj Bhawan amid speculations of change in leadership in state
PremiumAmid speculations, Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Tuesday submitted his resignation to Governor Baby Rani Maurya just days before his government's fourth anniversary on 17 March. He met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Delhi yesterday.
"The party gave me a golden opportunity to serve this State for four years. I had never thought that I would get such an opportunity. The party has now decided that the opportunity to serve as CM should be given to someone else now, " Rawat told reported after submitting resignation in Dehradun.
"BJP legislature party meeting is scheduled to be held at 10 am tomorrow at the party office," he further informed.
Earlier today, Uttarakhand CM Rawat arrived at Raj Bhawan amid speculations of change in leadership in state.
Rawat met BJP president J P Nadda and had earlier in the day visited Uttarakhand MP Anil Baluni's residence too.
BJP MP Ajay Bhatt, a senior party leader from the state, told PTI that "all is well" in the state and added that the two central leaders had visited Uttarakhand regarding preparations for the three-day state BJP executive meeting from March 12 and the Rawat government's fourth anniversary.
With the BJP mulling a change of leadership in Uttarakhand, state minister Dhan Singh Rawat has emerged as a frontrunner to replace Triverdra Singh Rawat as chief minister.
Sources to PTI had said the party may also bring in a deputy chief minister, who will be from the Kumaon region.
Pushkar Singh Dhami is likely to be deputy chief minister, the sources added.
The central BJP leadership recently sent two observers, party vice president Raman Singh and general secretary Dushayant Kumar Gautam, to the state to get feedback from party's core group in the state amid report of discontent against the chief minister.
A section of state leaders are reportedly miffed with Rawat's leadership and are of the view that the party's electoral prospects under him may not be very bright, reported PTI citing sources.
The party may also go for a cabinet reshuffle in the state, sources said.
Rawat was named the chief ministerial candidate by the BJP after it stormed to power in 2017, winning 57 of 70 seats in the state assembly.
PTI contributed to the story
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