In Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur assembly elections 2022, BJP has won all the states except Punjab. In Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath had already been projected by the party as CM, but in Goa, Uttarakhand, the race for the post of CM was looking very tough. Pushkar Singh Dhami was successful in getting the party to victory, but he lost his seat. Similarly, Pramod Sawant was a big face of the party in Goa, but the competition was tough there too. However, if we look at the decision of the party, none of the four Chief Ministers in the four states- UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa have been removed, they have been retained. Political affairs experts are seeing it in such a way that as long as the results are satisfactory, then unnecessary changes are avoided.
The personal defeat of Pushkar Singh Dhami in the election was sidelined by the party. Elected for the post of Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on Monday, while Pramod Sawant was considered suitable for the post of CM in Goa despite the ambitions of colleague Vishwajit Rane. Approval of Dhami for the top post can be seen as an attempt to prevent factional division in the Uttarakhand unit of the BJP, as the previous BJP rule was first handed over to Trivendra Singh Rawat, followed by Tirath Singh Rawat, But Pushkar Singh Dhami had to be brought in shortly before the completion of the government’s term.
The politics of Uttarakhand has seen three Chief Ministers in the last four years. In such a situation, the BJP party in the form of Dhami is seen giving importance to stability in the state. Now after taking oath as the Chief Minister, the youngest Chief Minister of the state, 46-year-old Pushkar Singh Dhami will have to win the by-election within six months.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, one of the party’s “central observers” in the state, told reporters, “In six months, Dhami made his mark on Uttarakhand, which was reflected in the election results.” The BJP has once again reposed faith in Dhami as he knows very well how the government is run, he said, adding that all the MLAs unanimously supported him.
In Goa too, the party chose stability instead of change and elected Pramod Sawant for a second term and ended the suspense that had been going on for the last 11 days. Former state health minister Vishwajit Rane was constantly in the race for the post of CM, but the party reposed faith in Sawant.
Sources said that with the BJP securing 20 seats on its own in the 40-member Goa Assembly, significant support from independents went in Sawant’s favor for an absolute majority. Sawant has been rewarded for overcoming the anti-incumbency wave and leading the party to victory despite the resignation of some prominent personalities, including the son of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar. In 2012, when the BJP won a majority under Parrikar’s leadership, it got 21 seats.
Both Dhami and Sawant got the final green signal after a meeting at PM Modi’s residence on Sunday evening, which was in constant discussion after the election results on March 10.
Dhami, a two-time MLA, is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). These decisions show how the top BJP leadership under PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has emphasized youth, consistency and ability to perform under pressure ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
At the same time, the command of Manipur was reassigned to N Biren Singh, although for the second time there were challengers present in front of him to get the green signal for the post of CM. In this way, Dhami, N Biren Singh and Pramod Sawant were made as Chief Ministers by the BJP, giving preference to their opponents. Yogi Adityanath was the only CM who did not face the challenge of any other leader within the party for the second innings.
Now all eyes are on another decision in Uttar Pradesh, whether Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is considered close to PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will get the Deputy CM post despite losing his seat this time?