Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation ended his short stint that was marred by controversies including over allowing the Mahakumbh during a devastating surge in Covid infections, and large-scale fraud in testing during the mega fair.
Dehradun: Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation as the Uttarakhand chief minister just four months after he replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat comes months before the elections in the state. Political experts say the fresh change of guard could impact the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prospects in the 2022 assembly polls. The change has also given Congress a fresh handle to attack the BJP over political inability in the state.
Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation ended his short stint that was marred by controversies including over allowing the Mahakumbh during a devastating surge in Covid infections, and large-scale fraud in testing during the mega fair. Rawat, 57, suggested he resigned because the Election Commission (EC) was unlikely to hold by-elections due to Covid-19. But an EC official indicated that no request was made to hold a by-poll and suggested there were precedents that may have permitted it. A chief minister, if not a member of the assembly, needs to be elected within six months of assuming the post. The EC does not typically hold by-polls to vacant constituencies when an assembly’s remaining term is less than a year.