After B.S. Yeddyurappa, the BJP, hit by corruption allegations, on Saturday decided to replace Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” with Mr B.C. Khanduri.
Incidentally, the outgoing chief minister had replaced Mr Khanduri in June 2009 after the party’s humiliating defeat in the general elections. The BJP reiterated that the only reason for the change was the forthcoming polls.
Mr Yeddyurappa had been removed from the post of Karnataka CM after being indicted by the state Lokayukta in the illegal mining issue.
The change in leadership in the hill state comes ahead of Assembly polls scheduled for early next year. Mr Khanduri is likely to be sworn in on Sunday after the BJP Legislature Party elects him its leader. BJP general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad has been appointed party central observer for this meeting.
The decision to sack Mr Pokhriyal was taken by the BJP core group late Saturday evening. Earlier in the day, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari had told the outgoing chief minister that he would have to resign as the “corruption charges” against him were “serious”. The BJP has made corruption its main poll plank. Sources said Mr Pokhriyal tried to convince the party top brass that the allegations were baseless, but he was told that recent internal surveys have revealed that the BJP is set to lose the state elections under his leadership.
Mr Pokhriyal has been facing an Opposition onslaught in the state over scams, including a land scam in Rishikesh which is said to involve `400 crore. There were also complaints against him for the delay in appointment of teachers in the state to favour his own people.
In the wake of these allegations, a majority section in the BJP’s Uttarakhand unit had been demanding a change in leadership. Senior leader and RS member B.S. Koshiyari and Mr Khanduri himself were against Mr Pokhriyal’s continuance. Sources said that Mr Khanduri had threatened the BJP top brass that he might leave the party if no action was taken. In fact, Mr Khanduri and Mr Koshiyari, considered rivals in state politics, joined hands against Mr Pokhriyal.