New Delhi/Lucknow: Two months after the saffron wave swept Uttarakhand, giving all five Lok Sabha seats to the BJP, losing three Assembly seats in byelections, including two considered to be its strongholds, prompted the BJP top brass to consider an overhaul of the state unit. Infigting, that cost the BJP dearly when it lost the hill state to the Congress in 2012 by just one seat, is one reason for the bypoll defeat.
BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday held a meeting of state unit leaders, including three former CMs, state unit chief Tirath Singh Rawat and the three candidates.
Sources said Congress chief minister Harish Rawat’s functioning and his goodwill with people was another reason for the loss, the state unit claimed.
The central leadership was also told that the state unit became overconfident with the Lok Sabha victory. Mr Rawat won from Dharchula Assembly seat in the bypolls. The victory in the bypolls strengthened the Congress position in the 70-member Assembly by increasing its tally to 35. The Congress government in the state is also supported by seven other legislators.
