DEHRADUN: In the Lok Sabha elections, where all political parties are using star campaigners and senior leaders of their respective parties in the election campaign, in Uttarakhand, the BJP has kept a distance from its four former Chief ministers. Uttarakhand, a separate state created with the aim of bringing stalled development back on track due to adverse geographical conditions, is heading towards its silver jubilee year, but both the national parties BJP and Congress have distanced themselves from half a dozen former chief ministers who ran governments in different phases after the formation of the state. According to reliable sources, in the present context, the former stalwarts of Uttarakhand’s political scene find themselves marginalised. Many senior BJP leaders have been sidelined for the time being and have not been assigned any responsibility. These veterans include former party chief ministers Bhuwan Chand Khanduri, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Tirath Singh Rawat and Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Vijay Bahuguna, who switched sides to the BJP after playing a long innings in the Congress, has also not been assigned any important work by the BJP. Tirath and Nishank have been denied party tickets and the rest have been given a chance to “rest for some time’. Speaking to TNIE, the state media coordinator, Manveer Chauhan, told, “While these leaders are employing varied campaigning tactics during the elections, they are consistently delivering robust performances and fulfilling pivotal responsibilities.” He further added, “The party is also utilizing their organizational skills.” Asked about the party’s distancing from former chief ministers, spokesperson Manveer Chauhan said, “Considering the age of some leaders and assigning organisational responsibilities to others, the BJP is with full promptness among the people”.Once the center of Uttarakhand politics, but after leaving the post of Maharashtra Governor, former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari is now away from the BJP’s political arena despite being active in public life.The significance of former Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri to the BJP in Uttarakhand is evident from the fact that the party had campaigned in his name during the 2012 elections, leading to their victory. However, he, along with Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Tirath Singh Rawat, and Vijay Bahuguna, have now been sidelined in the BJP’s political landscape. These leaders have not been accorded any significant roles within the party. Mocking the present status of ex-chief ministers within the BJP, Mohan Kala, the Congress state spokesperson, remarked, “The BJP consistently adheres to the ‘use and discard’ principle. It appears that the party is now applying this approach to its own leaders.”
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