Leadership could not stop NDT, Rawat sparring

Jaskiran Chopra / TNN / Feb 28, 2007, 03:35 IST

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Out of the 69 of the 70 assembly seats for which elections were held, BJP emerged as the single largest party with 34 seats.

Leadership could not stop NDT, Rawat sparring

DEHRADUN: The first elected government of the hill state of Uttarakhand was bundled out of office despite a fairly decent record of governance primarily because it failed to address issues of corruption, pompous politicians and officials and failing to check prices.
Out of the 69 of the 70 assembly seats for which elections were held, BJP emerged as the single largest party with 34 seats, just one seat away from a clear majority.
Congress had to face a drubbing with 21 seats, while BSP got eight, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal three and Independents three. According to sources, BJP has already initiated talks with UKD and independent candidates in order to form a government likely headed by former Union minister B C Khanduri.
BSP late Tuesday night said it would pitch in with Congress, but that isn't likely to affect BJP's chances. BJP won 14 seats out of the 21 constituencies in Kumaon and one in seven seats in Tarai's Udham Singh Nagar district.

Congress which had won 17 seats in Kumaon and Tarai areas in the 2002 Assembly polls lost eight seats, including high-profile Haldwani constituencies from where Congress minister Indira Hirdesh had to face humiliation. Observers said BJP's alliance with Akali Dal (Badal) in Punjab had seen Sikh votes swinging the saffron way Terrai.
The higher turnout this time was seen as a sign of resentment and a desire for change. But Chief minister N D Tiwari didn't want to attribute the Congress rout to one reason. "There are many reasons, including anti-incumbency factor, for our defeat. This happens in a democracy. I respect the people's verdict."

Sources said the voters punished Tiwari for failing to meet expectations, with the veteran Congress leader doling out sops lal battis to even his party rebels.
Observers said Tiwari's retirement announcement and his absence from poll rallies and infighting within Congress and rebellion against the party's official nominees led to his ouster. Tiwari, however, said, "I have never neglected my work."
Infighting has been the order of the day from the beginning and the rift between the government and the party has only widened with time.
On the other hand, the voters thought that BJP which created Uttaranchal, now Uttarakhand was not given enough chance to realise their vision for the state. Also, the aggressive poll campaign has helped BJP.

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