Union Home Minister Amit Shah endorsed the governance approach of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the rally held in Haridwar on Saturday to mark four years of the present BJP government’s term in Uttarakhand. During his visit, he also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of development projects worth Rs 1,129 crores. There was a significantly large turnout at the rally, which indicates there remains a motivated support base for the party and the government, despite the perceived shortcomings regarding delivery at the grassroots.
There is still a year to go for the next assembly elections in the state but Shah’s visit is also being looked at from the point of view of early preparations for the coming contest. Primarily, it served as a pat on the back from the party high command for the present dispensation in the state. It may be noted that Uttarakhand has a history of incumbent chief ministers being sacked or facing dissension just before elections. As such, the visit sends a message to the party cadre that Dhami remains the preferred leader for the future. It is a timely intervention as there have been signs of some MLAs questioning the present state leadership. One senior leader, in particular, has been following a contrary line for quite some time now and seems desirous of returning to state politics from his present parliamentary responsibilities.
The Dhami government, despite the Centre’s support and its populist policies, has not entirely been able to meet the expectations of its party cadre. One good example of this, as stated earlier, is the failure to fill empty positions in the Council of Ministers. Any correction in this regard at the present stage is not likely to repair the damage. It indicates that the Chief Minister is not comfortable with certain factions in the party and is, also, unable to obtain their support. What impact this situation will have on selection of candidates remains to be seen, but there is bound to be bad blood if legislators with strong support in their constituencies are sought to be dropped.
There is no doubt that the interaction held by Shah with party leaders on Saturday will have focused on these issues and prepared the ground for action. Much will also depend on how well the BJP does in other parts of the country, as an upswing would make it easier to enforce discipline in Uttarakhand. It is worth remembering that a year is a long time in politics.
