In Uttarakhand Why Bjp Is Micro Managing 23 Seats It Lost In 2022

The ruling BJP has tasked senior leaders with overseeing organisational work in the 23 Assembly constituencies it lost in the 2022 Uttarakhand elections, as part of a micro-management strategy aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 polls.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who lost his traditional Khatima seat in the 2022 elections, has been assigned the constituency. He will oversee the party’s programmes there, assess the political situation and work towards creating a favourable atmosphere for the BJP ahead of the next Assembly elections.

The move comes amid concerns within the BJP over anti-incumbency, particularly among Gen Z voters. The Congress had won 19 of the 23 seats the BJP lost in 2022, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Independents won two seats each.

“These leaders will visit their assigned constituencies, assess the political situation, draw up strategies with local party leaders and create an atmosphere conducive to the BJP’s victory in 2027,” a senior BJP leader said.

The BJP won 47 of Uttarakhand’s 70 Assembly seats in 2022 to retain power. Although Dhami lost Khatima, he was later elected from Champawat in a bypoll, allowing him to continue as chief minister.

“Khatima, Dhami’s hometown, is also a constituency he frequently visits. He is familiar with the local people and can comfortably devote time to meeting them and addressing the issues of the general public as well as BJP workers,” the leader said.

The BJP’s central leadership will take a final call closer to the 2027 elections on whether Dhami contests from Khatima or Champawat. However, party insiders believe he should contest from Champawat, where he won after losing Khatima.

BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt has been assigned Piran Kaliyar, a challenging seat for the party as it has never won the Muslim-dominated constituency in Haridwar district. Congress’s Furkan Ahmed has held the seat since 2012.

Another difficult constituency, Manglaur, has been assigned to Rajya Sabha MP and BJP national co-treasurer Naresh Bansal. The seat, also Muslim-dominated, has so far been won by candidates from the BSP and Congress.

Two constituencies that the BJP has never won — Chakrata and Dharchula — have been assigned to party general secretary Deepti Rawat and senior leader Ganesh Bhandari, respectively.

Other senior leaders given charge of seats lost by the BJP include Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta and former chief ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat.

Garhwal MP Anil Baluni has been assigned Badrinath, a seat which Bhatt lost in 2022.

BJP state general secretary Kundan Parihar, who has been assigned Haridwar Rural, said the exercise was aimed at strengthening the party at the grassroots level.

“This is a micro-management exercise for these 23 seats. The leaders will tour their assigned constituencies, hold meetings with local leaders to strengthen the party at the polling booth level and assess the political equations and other challenges. These exercises will continue till the Assembly elections,” Parihar said.

Under the plan, former chief ministers, ministers, MPs and other senior leaders will also be responsible for ensuring public participation in BJP programmes and campaigns in their assigned constituencies. They will also be expected to remain present during the telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly Mann Ki Baat address.

Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More