Every local leader aspires to be a chief minister of his respective state. It is considered the first launchpad into national politics. However, Uttarakhand's state is proving a nightmare for the cm's as most of them end up resigning before completing their tenure.
Only Congress party's former leader Narayan Dutt Tiwari has done the unthinkable, i.e remained CM for 5 years. Else no other Chief minister has achieved this feat what looks like a cakewalk for the CMs of other states. BJP has been worse as not a single chief minister had completed 5 years in the chief minister's office.
After a splitsville from a politically active state Uttarpradesh, Uttrakhand was formed in the year 2000 under the leadership of the then prime minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. BJP formed the first government which saw two CM on the chair in the first two years.
The very first CM of the state was Nityanand Swami. He administered oath on 9th November 2000 but had to exit due to party rebellions. Present Maha Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was the successor of Swami who resigned on 29th Oct 2001.
It was the same storyline for Koshiyari who took the responsibility of the chief ministerial ship on 30th Oct 2001. He was able to retain the cm seat for only 123 days. BJP went to the polls keeping Koshiyari as the top leader but lost to the congress.
Then came Narayan Dutt Tiwari the lone Uttarakhand CM who completed his 5-year tenure from 2002-2007. In 2007 Congress conceded defeat to BJP and again CM's kept on changing. The state saw 3 CMs in five years (2007-2012).
Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri was given the responsibility of the Chief minister by party high command who took oath on 8th march 2007 and lasted till 23rd June 2009. It was Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank's turn to rule the state but he failed miserably. Merely after 4 months, he had to resign. His predecessor Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri returned with second innings but the saffron party lost the 2012 polls under his leadership.
Congress expected stability of past after forming a govt with the majority but the grand old party too received hiccups. The state saw two chief ministers from 2012 to 2017. Vijay Bahuguna ruled the state from March 2012-14. Harish Rawat came into the picture in 2014 amid a surge of the Modi wave.
He too faced an internal rift and somehow managed the chief ministerial chair under his control till the president's rule was imposed in 2016. However, a court handed him much-needed relief, and prez rule was null and void. Congress went in the polls with Harish Rawat as CM face and received a humiliating poll drubbing.
BJP appointed Trivendra Singh Rawat as chief minister. Rawat who took oath on 8th March 2017 was 1 year short of completing his full term. He could have been the first CM of BJP & 2nd CM of the state to retain the chair for 5 years. Rawat was the next victim of rebellions and missed the feat by a whisker. He tendered his resignation today. (WD)