Will Harish Rawat sustain in Uttarakhand’s politics after three consecutive defeats ?

There is always a saturation point in politics. Politicians who never want to end their innings always long for positions and power, even if they are over aged or defunct in politics losing one after another elections. They are so power hungry n greedy that they would never want to give space to the younger generations who are more qualifed, energetic n outright then, them.

In BJP however this hard fact was recognised n the prime minister Narendra Modi has fixed 75 years as age of political retirement in his party unnerved with the ongoing criticism.

As a result the saffron party’s first casualty were its two towering leaders, former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani and another stalwart former union minister n party chief Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi. However, prime minister Modi keeps both of them in good humour diplomatically by seeking their blessings from time to time.

This fact can be reflected further when two of its former CMs n sitting MPs from Nainital n Pauri Garhwal viz Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and Major General Bhuvan Chand Khanduri have been divested of party tickets this time.

Instead younger party cadres and former ministers in Uttarakhand were obliged from these seats viz Tirath Singh Rawat n Ajay Bhatt who’d won with a heavy margin alongwith three others. Even the Congress chief of Uttarakhand n former minister Pritam Singh lost to BJP’s sitting MP Maharani Raj Laxmi this time.

In Uttarakhand all the five seats went to BJP for the second cosecutive term since 2014.

While BJP has fixed 75 years’ deadline for retirement of over aged politicians, in Congress, age is not the criteria where veterans like more than 85 years old Moti Lal Vohra and his likes are still holding important party positions, though not able to walk or stand straight.

If we take the instance of Uttarakhand’s Congress politician having crossed 75 years n nearing eighty years, the name of Harish Rawat, former CM, two times union minister and ex MP comes into picture.

Still mobile and active Harish Rawat had been the most vocal, active n mobile CM of Uttarakhand but has the greatest demerit of losing three elections in a sequence, two assembly elections while being the caretaker CM of UK and an MP election this time from Nainital in his capacity as the AICC’s general secretary, incharge Assam.

What was special in Harish Rawat’s case was that even after losing Nainital Lok Sabha with a heavy margin in Uttarakhand in 2019 n also losing from both the assembly constituencies in 2017 as well, Rawat was elevated as party’s national general secretary and also co opted in the party’s highest decision making body, Congress’s Central Working Committee by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

But things have become extremely difficult for Rawat after losing the Nainital Lok Sabha election morally. Political analysts question that if a leader is popular and well established in state politics, how can he lose three elections in succession and that too holding important party positions ?

Moreover, the state Congress leadership in Uttarakhand which had always wanted to get rid of Rawat accusing him for unnecessarily intervening in the state organisational affairs despite having been given the full fledged charge of Assam also feels that now he should keep himself away from interfering in state politics, especially after losing three elections in sequence.

The saturation point in the political career of Rawat has arrived now as not only is he nearing 79/ 80 years of age but has lost three successive elections from Uttarakhand as well.

Where does his political credibily exists now, after three sequential defeats ? question some of state Congress leaders of the rival camps who do not want to be identified?

In order to give the younger generation n second line leadership responsibilities in the party’s hierarchy in the states as well as in the central organisation, the Congress party should also follow suit after BJP n pave the way for newer n younger entrants by amicably retiring the over 75 year old politicians in Congress party as well.

It may be recalled that Harish Rawat is the senior most veteran leader of Congress party whose contribution in establishing the party at grass roots after the formation of separate Uttarakhand state had been phenomenal. He started his political career five decades ago rising from a gram pradhan to block pramukh n then member of parliament several times.

Late Mrs Indira Gandhi n Sanjay Gandhi were his political mentors. Rawat was the Sewa Dal’s All India Vice chairman during PM Narsimha Rao’s tenure and represented Uttrakhand in union cabinet twice as state minister of water resources and Agriculture during the tenure of PM Dr. Manmohan Singh. He was appointed as CM Uttarakhand in 2015/ 16 by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi replacing the then CM Vijay Bahuguna. Currently he is the All India general secretary of Congress committee n member CWC. He is quite popular in Uttarakhand despite losing three elections in a row. Still physically fit at the age of 79 Rawat seems to try his luck in 2022 as well when the state assembly elections would take place.

What’s your take friends?