India: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Resigns

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned today as the state's ruling BJP opted for course correction a year before polls, amid growing resentment in the ranks. His exit was certain after his trip yesterday to Delhi, where he had met with the BJP leadership. Mr Rawat handed in his resignation to Governor Baby Rani Maurya just days short of completing four years in power becoming the latest in Uttarakhand's legacy of Chief Ministers exiting before term.

Mr Rawat said, i have been working in politics for while now and my party gave me an opportunity to work as the state Chief Minister for four years, the golden years of my life. Despite coming from a rural background, I was entrusted with the responsibility to lead the state that is only possible in a party like BJP. Now that party has taken a collective decision to entrust the responsibility of state chief ministership to some other leader.

A state minister, Dhan Singh Rawat, is widely tipped to take over as Chief Minister. Dhan Singh Rawat, who was in Garhwal, took a private chopper to state capital Dehradun this afternoon. The BJP legislature party in Uttarakhand will meet tomorrow to choose a new leader.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi choose him after the Uttarakhand election in 2017 winning 57 seats in the 69 member assembly. The Congress won just 11 seats.