Uttarakhand Election 2022: BJP Vs Congress - a contest between divided parties?

It's truly uphill for both the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in the upcoming Uttarakhand Assembly polls. Both the parties are divided houses ahead of the polls.

The incumbent Pushkar Singh Dhami and the challenger Harish Rawat are busy firefighting within their own parties as they head into a crucial election.

It's important for the young BJP CM to show that he can break Uttarakhand's revolving door pattern. The government has changed in the hill state after every election in its 21 years of existence.

For Rawat and Congress, it's a make-or-break poll as the party was decimated in the 2017 polls.

BJP had swept the state in 2017 with 57 out of 70 seats, while Congress was left with just 11 seats.

This time around the opinion polls have predicted a neck and neck contest between the two main rivals.

Also Watch: Uttarakhand Election 2022: Key challenges for BJP's bid to retain power

According to the C Voter's latest survey, BJP is projected to win 31 to 37 seats, while Congress may romp home in 30 to 36 seats.

In such a close contest, intra-party tussles are a big handicap for both the defender and the challenger.

BJP's troubles started in March last year, when Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned as the chief minister just days before the 4th anniversary of his government.

While no official reason was given for TSR's removal by the party, it was triggered by the revolt from a section of party MLAs against Rawat’s style of functioning.

Tirath Singh Rawat replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat as chief minister but resigned within four months after a controversy-filled tenure replete with gaffes.

BJP then brought in 45-year-old Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was never even a minister before becoming chief minister.

He is now the BJP’s face to take on Congress veteran Harish Rawat.

And if you thought that changing 3 CMs in a year would put the BJP house in order, look at Uttarakhand BJP.

The youngest chief minister of the state, who is from Kumaon, faces stiff resistance from some sections of the party, and people from other regions of the state, especially Garhwal.

Party leader and cabinet minister Yashpal Arya joined the Congress, and another minister, Harak Singh Rawat, has also jumped the ship.

If BJP looks like a mess, its opponent Congress is a royal one.

The grand old party is riddled with major infighting and bickering in the state. Many in the state Congress are miffed with Harish Rawat over his attempts to project himself as chief ministerial candidate.

AICC state in-charge Devendra Yadav and the leader of the opposition and former state Congress chief Pritam Singh have been vocal in their opposition to Rawat.

Things came to a head in December when Rawat tweeted about not getting party's support.

Senior leaders were summoned to Delhi and an uneasy truce was struck.

The party also decided not to declare any chief ministerial candidate. Reports say that the state Congress is vertically divided into two camps - one supports Harish Rawat and state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, while another supports Pritam Singh and Devendra Yadav.

Reports say that the likely return of Harak Singh Rawat has also left the party split down the middle.

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