Latest revision as of 20:24, 5 July 2021

[edit] A brief biography

[edit] Till Mar 2021

Shivani Azad & Ishita Mishra, March 11, 2021: The Times of India

As a child, the sixth and youngest son of a fitter man with the railways, Tirath Singh Rawat was a mediocre student in school who maintained a low profile and was more comfortable away from the spotlight. In fact, his family worried if he would do anything “worthwhile” in life. But his virtue, they recalled, was his quiet patience.

“Every time we took him to the market, he wouldn’t buy anything for himself. Other kids would rush to pick up things they liked. We always appreciated that calm contentment,” said Tapeshwari Devi, Rawat’s eldest sister-in-law, who saw him growing up in his formative years. “He got that from his father Kalam Singh.” Kalam Singh was a fitter man with the railways, checking the safety fittings of train wagons. His mother Gaura Devi was a homemaker. “He had been active in politics from a very early age. He joined R S S when he was in Class XI. We were worried he would not be able to do anything in life,” the CM’s eldest brother Jaswant Singh Rawat, 70, told TOI.

After school too, the family was worried. “He proved us wrong with his success in politics,” he added. “When news of his being chosen as the CM reached our native Siron village in Pauri, it broke into celebration.” Back home in Dehradun, his wife Rashmi was also a little unprepared. “I always knew the party had faith in his potential and that he will, one day, be given some key responsibility,” Rashmi, an associate professor in psychology at DAV College in Dehradun, said. The couple has a daughter, Akanksha.

[edit] Career

[edit] 2021 March: CM

‘Dark horse’ Tirath Rawat is Uttarakhand’s 10th CM Takes Over Ahead Of Next Yr’s State Polls Kautilya Singh & Ishita Mishra

Dehradun:

The five-day-long political turmoil that led to Trivendra Singh Rawat resigning from the CM’s post ended with Pauri MP Tirath Singh Rawat taking over as the 10th CM of Uttarakhand. He was administered the oath of office.

Earlier, amid intense speculations on who would be chosen by the BJP leadership for the top post, Rawat, 56, emerged as the dark horse. Other names in circulation for the CM’s post were those of Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, state tourism minister Satpal Maharaj and higher education minister Dhan Singh Rawat among others. Tirath Rawat, whose name was proposed by Trivendra Rawat at the legislative party meeting held at the BJP office in Balbir Road, is a close aide of former CM BC Khanduri and a former R S S and ABVP member.

Served as 1st edu minister of U’khand

Regarded as a grassroot politician, he is said to have a good understanding of the party’s organisational set-up, which is why as per insiders he was chosen for the key post just as BJP is gearing up for assembly polls to be held next year. Rawat has served as the first education minister of Uttarakhand, BJP state chief, the party’s state general secretary as well as BJP’s national secretary. He was MLA from Chaubattakhal in Pauri from 2012 to 2017, and opted out of the race in favour of Satpal Maharaj in 2017 assembly polls.

In 2019, he was fielded as BJP candidate from Pauri Lok Sabha seat against his mentor BC Khanduri’s son Manish Khanduri who was fighting on a Congress ticket. He won with over 3 lakh votes.

[edit] July: Why he had to quit as CM

Kautilya Singh, July 4, 2021: The Times of India

Although Tirath Singh Rawat tendered his resignation ostensibly to ward off a constitutional crisis since there was difficulty in him getting elected through a bypoll, sources say there were other factors which may have led to his exit. The spate of controversial remarks given by him soon after taking over had made many in the party uncomfortable. Also, the Kumbh testing scam had proved to be an embarrassment. Many in the party also felt he was “too simple” and not politically savvy enough to manage the ambitions of MLAs within the party and lead it successfully in forthcoming polls, as per sources “Tirath Rawat is a simple person and during his short tenure, didn’t show the skills required to handle bureaucracy or the party cadre,” said Doon-based political analyst Jay Singh Rawat.

“The controversial statements made soon after taking over, whether it was on women’s ripped jeans or equating Modi with God didn’t go down well with many. Also, it seems that the party was not convinced that going into polls under his leadership was a safe bet,” he said.

“Had he contested the bypoll in Salt, the current problem would never have arisen. His advisors failed to alert him about the provisions of the Representation of People Act and its ramifications. That was a grave mistake,” said a source.