DEHRADUN: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, who was denied a ticket by the BJP in the Lok Sabha election, has reiterated his disappointment over the party’s ticket allocation process.Ever since the parliamentary polls, Rawat has been unrelenting in his criticism, stating that imposed candidates will not succeed in the future. The party cut Rawat’s ticket in favour of Anil Baluni, which disappointed him. The party’s recent defeats in the Badrinath and Mangalour assembly bypolls have only intensified Rawat’s criticism. At Monday’s party’s working committee meeting, Rawat unequivocally stated that the party needs to re-think the implications of ‘imposing candidates’. His statement has put the entire state BJP on the defensive.In a scathing attack, the former chief minister termed the BJP’s candidate selection criteria for the recent by-election in Uttarakhand “incorrect”. “I had hinted at this earlier and also said that workers in the state are not getting the respect they deserve,” Rawat said in his address.His remarks came after the BJP’ s recent defeat in the bypolls, sparked a debate within the party. Rawat’s criticism is seen as a significant development, as he has been a prominent party leader besides being the state’s former chief minister. Known for his unconventional style, Rawat has criticised the BJP’s organisational lapses in the recent election results. However, he congratulated Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on completing three years in office, wishing him a 15-year tenure as CM.
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