The BJP has picked yet another low-profile, grassroots worker, Pauri Garhwal MP Tirath Singh Rawat, to replace his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. The newly-elected CM who shares his community and political profile and even the initials of his name with his predecessor will take his oath of office by evening.

The decision to project yet another Thakur in the run-up to the next Assembly polls, due next year in Uttarakhand, is hardly surprising considering that Uttarakhand has the highest population of upper caste voters in the country with the Thakurs constituting approximately 30-35 per cent of the vote and Brahmins around 20-21 per cent. The State’s OBC population is less than 5 per cent although it has a substantial, about 19 per cent Scheduled Caste voter and about 14 per cent Muslims. The change-of-guard mid-term is also typical of the hill State where no Chief Minister, barring Narain Dutt Tiwari, has been able to complete his full term since Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on November 9, 2000.

Also Read Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat resigns

Rawat was elected at a meeting of the BJP’s legislature party at Dehradun this morning where central observer and former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh was overseeing proceedings. Tirath Singh Rawat’s name was proposed by Trivendra Singh Rawat who had resigned as CM on Tuesday afternoon. Over 50 legislators who had gathered at the party headquarters for the change-of-guard meeting, participated in the election of the new CM.

The new CM was expectedly sombre and humble at having been picked as the surprise candidate over the more high-profile Satpal Maharaj, Ramesh Pockriyal Nishank and Dhan Singh Rawat.

“I thank the PM, home minister and party chief who trusted me, a mere party worker who comes from a small village. I had never imagined that I would reach here. I will make all efforts to meet people’s expectations and take forward work done in the last four years,” Rawat said after his name was announced. He will take oath at 4 pm today.

Rawat, 56, is an RSS old-timer, having worked in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and rising gradually in the ranks of the BJP. He became the Chief of the BJP’s state unit in Uttarakhand in 2013-14 and was also elected as MLA in the past.

Rawat’s selection followed a rapid turn of events since last Saturday when a team of central observers, Raman Singh and Dushyant Kumar Gautam, landed in Dehradun. The State Assembly was in session and the two central observers called each party legislators for consultations following dissensions in the rank and the rising chorus against Trivendra Singh Rawat’s “autocratic” style of functioning. The central observers’ went back to Delhi to report to the party brass that a number of MLAs believe that if Trivendra Singh Rawat continues as CM, the BJP would lose in the next Assembly elections.

Trivendra Singh Rawat was summoned to Delhi on Monday where he was told of the party’s decision to ask him to step down. He went back to Dehradun and tendered his resignation to the Governor on Tuesday.

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