Ahead of Uttarakhand Polls, Kotdwar MLA Harak Singh Rawat resigns from cabinet

In a major political development from Uttarakhand, cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat has given his resignation. Attacking Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami-led Bharatiya Janata Party government, the Kotdwar MLA expressed anger over the government's indecision to his demand for approval for the medical college in Kotdwar.

Harak Singh Rawat gave his resignation during the cabinet meeting. According to Republic sources, some MLAs have also resigned with the Kotdwar MLA. However, during the briefing, cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal denied all the reports.

Having served as an MLA in both Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, Rawat has been part of the Indian National Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party in the past. He switched to the Saffron party in 2017 and won from Kotdwar assembly seat,

In October, Rawat had claimed that he would not contest the 2022 Assembly elections. "I am saying this honestly, I have told many leaders from my party. I am not very keen on contesting the MLA election. I am not mentally prepared for it. I have been an MLA 6 times from Uttar Pradesh to Uttarakhand and served as a Minister multiple times. At many times, a person takes a resolve. Often, the situation is such which does not appeal to your mind."

Uttarakhand polls

In the 2017 Uttarakhand Assembly election, BJP came to power by winning 57 seats in the 70-member House, succeeding the Harish Rawat-led Congress government. Thereafter, Trivendra Singh Rawat served as the Chief Minister until March 9 this year, when he resigned due to a "collection decision" taken by the top brass. His successor and Lok Sabha MP Tirath Singh Rawat's tenure at the top post was short-lived and he was replaced by Pushkar Singh Dhami as the Election Commission of India was unlikely to conduct by-polls due to the COVID situation.

The 2022 polls will be a triangular contest between BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party. AAP has declared Colonel (retd.) Ajay Kothiyal as its CM face, while Pushkar Dhami is likely to lead the saffron party. The Congress on Friday said former CM Harish Rawat would lead the party in the upcoming polls.