Chastened Harish Rawat accepts his 'failure'

It was a chastened Harish Rawat who met the media on Saturday. The “caretaker” chief minister till the time the BJP forms the government accepted responsibility for the Congress’ decimation in the Assembly polls — the party received just 11 seats out of 70. But the most worrying factor for the Grand Old Party was the defeat of even Rawat, who contested from two constituencies, Haridwar Rural and Kichha.

Rawat, who submitted his resignation to Governor KK Paul on Saturday, said that the result may have been due to leadership failures on his part. “I accept the Congress' defeat in Uttarakhand, there must have been a few lapses in our leadership. We will analyse the reason for this defeat. I think something may have been lacking in my leadership qualities and that's why I couldn’t give the expected results to the party,” said Rawat, who had just celebrated his wedding anniversary and Holi with party workers on Friday.

Rawat said that he accepted the defeat “humbly” and even questioned his own leadership. But he did subtly attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the defeat, saying, “It all happened because of Modi kranti (revolution) and EVM chamatkar (miracle). I congratulate the BJP.”

With folded hands, the 'caretaker chief minister' humbly thanked his senior party leaders for giving him an opportunity to lead the team in Uttarakhand and accepted that he could not fulfill the responsibility that was entrusted upon him.

“I would like to thank Rahul Gandhi and the central leadership for taking out rallies in my support. It seems that I could not fulfill the responsibilities bestowed on me,” he said. Nevertheless, while congratulating the BJP for getting a two-thirds majority in the state, Rawat also mischievously wished them best of luck for forming the government with the help of all the Congress turncoats, whom he termed as ‘kalakars’ (artists).

The BJP, which had got got 57 seats in the state (two seats went to Independents), is naturally jubilant. BJP President Amit Shah’s strategy to attack Rawat’s stronghold — he commands strong following in the Garhwal region — by bringing in Congress turncoats worked, as many senior Congress leaders left the party to join the BJP.

But whether they will be given prominent positions in the state government and even the Chief Minister's seat is something that these leaders are asking the decision-makers in the party. Though these leaders are content with the landslide victory, all eyes are now on the Congress turncoats.

When asked about the issue, BJP general secretary and in-charge of the party's affairs in Uttarakhand, Shyam Jaju, told DNA, “Whoever comes into the party are members of the pariwar. The parliamentary board will decide the leader in the state after proper consultation with the state leaders and party workers.” Jaju, however, hinted that the chief minister would be a “BJP party member”.

The BJP’s strategy of fielding these turncoats won huge dividends. Except for Shailendra Mohan Singhal from Jaspur, all the Congress turncoats emerged victorious.

The rebels, who had denounced the Congress and joined the saffron party last year, had put the state under President’s Rule. And it's turned out to be a win-win situation for them all the way. Pradeep Batra won from Roorkee, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion from Khanpur, Subodh Uniyal from Narendranagar, Rekha Arya from Someshwar and Umesh Sharma Kau from Raipur.

Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna — who also joined the BJP to protest against the Harish Rawat-led government in the state — fielded his son Saurabh Bahuguna from the Sitarganj seat. He, however, did not contest himself this time.

Senior leader Satpal Maharaj, who left the Congress before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and joined the BJP, won from the Chaubattakhal seat.  

Former Congress leader Kedar Singh Rawat, who had also joined the BJP, won from the Yamunotri seat. Another former Congress stalwart, Harak Singh Rawat, who had led the rebellion against Rawat last year, contested from the Kotdwar seat and won.

But seeing them as Cabinet ministers or even the Chief Minister in the new government will annoy and worry BJP leaders, which is something the central leadership will have to think about. But right now, BJP leader and former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is choosing not to comment, saying, “We are just party ground workers and the decision will be taken by central leaders.”