Pushkar Singh Dhami, the youngest CM of Uttarakhand, has taken charge of the state amid a slew of problems.
The first comes from within his own party where some legislators were unhappy with the choice of Dhami who does not have any ministerial experience. Yet, Dhami has deep roots within the RSS—so his support base within the larger party organisation is assured. However, that does not automatically diffuse any possible further dissent within the party, despite the BJP line being that all is well in the party and that all the MLAs stand firmly behind Dhami.
Among the state’s problems, unemployment remains the major challenge. Unemployment stands at 10.99 per cent—a big rise over the 1.64 per cent it stood at in 2017. The young and the unemployed have been Dhami’s special focus areas since his initiation into politics; hence, this is a problem he is likely to take on head on.
In fact, one of the decisions taken in the first cabinet meeting after the swearing in was the provision of 22,000 government jobs.
Price hike of commodities is another issue, and the Congress has already declared that from July 7 to 17, it will agitate throughout the state on rising prices, unemployment, political instability, and poor health services.
The CM will also have to deal with the mishaps of his predecessor—fake COVID tests at the Kumbh Mela being just one knotty issue. He will also have to ensure preparations are up-to-date for a possible third wave of the pandemic.
Former CM Harish Singh Rawat took a jibe at the new CM suggesting it would do him good if he would have a look at the BJPs 2017 election manifesto. “They (the former CMs) have forgotten all the promises they have made to the public. The people of Uttarakhand have suffered only because they gave the BJP a clear majority”.
But Dhami’s age and his standing among the young are likely to give him more leeway in his initial days. Rawat, for instance, said that while he had no soft corner for the BJP, he had faith in the youth, “He (Dhami) must show some sparkle; otherwise, it will be a great disappointment for the youth of the state," Rawat said.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Mohaniya, Aam Aadmi Party in-charge in the state, has claimed that disgruntled BJP legislators are in touch with him. He said the changing political scenario of the state had made the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections a direct contest between the BJP and the AAP.
He also said the BJP had fooled the people of Uttarakhand, despite the majority mandate it got. “The first CM was a ‘no work’ CM. Hence, nothing happened in the state in four years. The next CM was a ‘zero vision’ CM. The dissatisfaction with the third CM could mean that there will be a fourth CM, too," Mohaniya said.
The state’s Congress committee vice president Suryakant Dhasmana echoed Mohaniya. “The BJP gave three CMs. One was a tired CM. The second was a CM in a constitutional crisis. And the third is one without experience," he said.
Though there has been some speculation that the Congress might have had a hand in stoking dissent within the BJP, Dhasmana vehemently denied it. “It is all the doing of the BJP. We will win the next election solely on the basis of our performance," he said.
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The fact that Dhami is from the Kumaon region has also added to the dissatisfaction within the BJP. Legislators from the Garhwal region are miffed at the choice of a CM from Kumaon region.
Both Kumaon and Garhwal have six districts each. Dehradun the state’s capital is in Garhwal; yet, it is leaders from Kumaon who have dominated it as there are more constituencies in Kumaon. These political divides are only sharpened by the historical socio-cultural differences of the two regions.
Thus, Dhami, who is already hampered by very little time to prove his mettle before the state goes to polls, might end up spending too much time trying to placate his own party men if the infighting intensifies.
Being younger than his ministerial colleagues would also mean that Dhami will have to walk the tightrope of firmness and deference in taking and executing decisions.
