Dhami on ascendancy after Kedarnath victory, Congress continues it’s downward trajectory in Uttarakhand  

Dhami on ascendancy after Kedarnath victory, Congress continues it’s downward trajectory in Uttarakhand

S.M.A.KAZMI

Dehradun, Nov 23

A victory in the Kedarnath bye-election by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Asha Nautiyal by over 5000 votes against her Congress candidate Manoj Rawat has added to the stature of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who left no stone unturned in ensuring a win for the party from Kedarnath assembly segment which held an immense political value for the Hindutva forces being a religious place.

In Uttarakhand, ruling BJP led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami toiled hard following defeat in two bye-elections for Mangalore and Badrinath seats earlier in July this year. The Kedarnath win was considered important for the Hindutva forces led by BJP to allay the narrative that the party has been losing politically at places of Hindu religious pilgrimage. It was an important victory before 2027 state assembly polls.

The BJP led by Chief Minister Dhami played out really well from the word go after its’ earlier defeat from Badrinath seat, using its’ immense resources and working really hard with its’ ears to the ground. The Kedarnath bye-election was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP legislator Shaila Rani Rawat.

Taking a pragmatic decision, BJP decided to ignore the emotional claims of daughter of the deceased sitting legislator and decided to field Asha Nautiyal, a former legislator and chief of Mahila BJP state unit who was a popular local leader. The entire poll machinery of the BJP/RSS combine with all its’ financial and human resources plunged headlong into the campaign to ensure a win for the party. Leaving no chance, the ruling dispensation even resorted to its’ time tested anti-Muslim rhetoric by unleashing hate mongers like Darshan Bharati who targeted and abused few Muslim shopkeepers at Augustmuni and other smaller towns and used the social media to spread the message in Kedarnath.

Interestingly, the anti-Muslim campaign had started in the entire Garhwal area since July when the miniscule minority population were targeted and made to flee from Nandghat, Chauras, Gauchar and Khansar areas. Even boards were put up banning the entry of Non-Hindus/Outsiders in the villages as Muslims shopkeepers refrained from putting up shops at annual famous Gauchar Mela.

The BJP was able to effectively counter the Congress allegations of alleged theft of gold from Kedarnath temple, charge of starting a Kedarnath Dham at Burari in New Delhi which was inaugurated by CM Dhami and stoppage of yatra following disaster on August 31, 2024. All the senior state BJP leader led by Dhami and state general secretary incharge Dushyant Gautam along with RSS foot soldiers reached out to the voters and were able to manage the anger of the local people in their favour.

On the other hand, the defeat of the Congress candidate Manoj Rawat was a forgone conclusion even before a single vote was cast due to the fact that he was not a suitable to take on the BJP. It was the internal politics played out by Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat which again played out and the results were known to the party insiders beforehand. Although, they all turned up in a show of unity during campaigning but they knew that it was a losing battle against BJP/RSS juggernaut and a better candidate against their own weak candidate.

Manoj Rawat, the Congress candidate, a journalist by profession and a protégé of Harish Rawat was fielded in the 2017 state assembly elections from Kedarnath which he had won due to division of votes between two women candidates Shaila Rani Rawat and Asha Nautiyal. Asha Nautiyal had fought that election as an independent against BJP candidate Shaila Rani Rawat.

After winning the Mangalore and Badrinath bye-elections, a buoyed state Congress President Karan Mahra wanted to give BJP another tough fight by fielding former minister Harak Singh Rawat from Kedarnath. Harak Singh Rawat who had rejoined the Congress before 2022 state assembly polls and is under CBI and ED probe was also keen to fight. He also enthusiastically participated in the Kedarnath yatra undertaken by Uttarakhand Congress led by party President Karan Mahra. Harak Singh Rawat is a state politician who has a track record of winning elections from different seats since the formation of Uttarakhand state. But he was ignored at the behest of Harish Rawat.

As the election process started, Karan Mahra had appointed two party legislators as observers for choosing a candidate but before they could decide, Harish Rawat put in his weight around to get Ganesh Godiyal, another senior party leader and his accomplice as observer. Interestingly, while Karan Mahra kept on complaining Ganesh Godiyal bypassing the state Congress chief recommended the name of Manoj Rawat. The central party leadership which has lost all credibility and has probably left the state at the mercy of its’ state leaders finalised the name of Manoj Rawat ignoring the ground realities. While, the BJP state general secretary incharge Dushyant Gautam with his entire team toured Kedarnath many times during elections,  Kumari Selja, the Congress general secretary incharge did not even care to visit Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has termed the victory as a victory of ‘Sanatan’ forces and nationalism against the false propaganda of Congress party while Harish Rawat charged the ruling party of misusing the state machinery and winning the poll by distributing liquor and money. Karan mahra,Uttarakhand Congress chief in his reaction said that Kedarnath voters were anti-BJP but the division of votes between Congress and independent Tribhuvan Chauhan led to the BJP victory. While ,BJPs’ Asha Nautiyal scored more than 23000 votes, Manoj Rawat got more than 18000 votes with Truibhuvan Chauhan, an independent candidate getting more than 9000 votes.

The political situation in Uttarakhand indicate that most of the senior Congress leaders in the heart of their hearts have reconciled with fact that in this upper caste Hindu dominated state,  they would be happy to play second fiddle with party high command happy looking the other way.