CM Tirath Singh's resignation to avoid constitutional crisis in Uttarakhand

New Delhi, Dt

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Friday tendered his resignation to BJP president JP Nadda. With his arrival from Delhi, he reached Raj Bhavan to officially resign as Chief Minister. In his resignation, Rawat cited Section 131-A of the Representation of the People Act as saying that he could not be elected within six months of being appointed as the Chief Minister. It is therefore imperative that he resign to avoid a constitutional crisis. Following Tirath Singh's resignation, the assembly party will meet on Saturday to elect a new chief minister. The names of Satpal Singh and Dhansinh Rawat as the new Chief Minister are under discussion.

In a letter to BJP president JP Nadda, Tirath Singh said he was supposed to become a member of the assembly within six months of becoming the chief minister under section 13-A, but under section 121, by-elections could not be held if there was less than a year left. As a result, I want to resign as Chief Minister so that a constitutional crisis does not arise in Uttarakhand.

After meeting party president JP Nadda in Delhi, Rawat reached Raj Bhavan directly after landing at Jolly Grant Airport in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand will now have a third chief minister in less than four months. Trivendra Singh Rawat was the Chief Minister for almost four years during the tenure of the present Legislative Assembly, but Tirath Singh Rawat became the Chief Minister in place of Trivendra Singh after the Chamoli tragedy. He remained CM for only four months and is now forced to resign. A meeting of the Legislative Party will be held on Saturday to select a new Chief Minister in the wake of a new political movement in Uttarakhand. Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has been appointed as the observer for the meeting and he will leave for Dehradun on Saturday.

Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat was summoned to Delhi on Friday. Besides, two senior BJP leaders Satpal Maharaj and Dhansinh Rawat were also called to Delhi. Tirath Singh met BJP President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Delhi.

Uttarakhand is likely to hold assembly elections in January next year. Tirath Singh has not been able to become a member of the House since he became the Chief Minister. To become the Chief Minister, one has to become a member of the House within six months. Tirath Singh Rawat became the Chief Minister on March 10, 2021 and he was required to be elected by September 10. However, it is not possible to hold by-elections in the state now due to constitutional conditions. Therefore, it has become necessary for Tirath Singh to resign from the post of Chief Minister to avoid a constitutional crisis.

New names are being discussed as the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after the departure of Tirath Singh Rawat. The names of Satpal Maharaj, Dhansinh Rawat, Rekha Khanduri and Pushkar Singh Dhami are currently being discussed. However, according to sources, only a Rajput or lion leader can be made the chief minister here. At the same time, the party will ensure that the new leader is a member of the Legislative Assembly so that a constitutional crisis does not arise again.