Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned on Tuesday, a day after he was summoned by the party high command over resentment in the ranks against his leadership.
The swift move pushed by the central leadership was seen as a corrective measure ahead of polls early next year.

First-time MLA Dhan Singh Rawat, a minister in the state government, is most likely to replace Trivendra, sources said.

The formality of electing a leader of the central leadership’s choice will be completed on Wednesday at a legislature party meeting in Dehradun.

A deputy chief minister is also likely to be named, sources said. The name of Pushkar Singh Dhami, a second time MLA from the Kumaon region, is said to be the frontrunner.

After tendering his resignation to the governor, the outgoing chief minister said it was a “unanimous decision” of the party’s central leadership that he should step down.

Asked the reason, he said: “Aapko Dilli jana padega (You have to go to Delhi)”, refusing to talk about the opposition to his leadership by a section of party MLAs.

The change has come a year before the state is scheduled to go to polls. Party insiders said the decision to bring a new chief minister was taken based on a report by party observers, who were sent after reports of resentment among a large section of MLAs, accusing Trivendra of “incompetence” and terming him an “uninspiring” face.

Party sources said an internal survey had also shown that it would be very difficult for the BJP to return to power under Trivendra’s leadership.

In the 70-member Assembly, the BJP has a majority with 56 MLAs and there was no threat to the government.

Some party leaders, however, indicated something more serious, hinting at corruption charges against the chief minister. The current leadership of the BJP is not known to change chief ministers under pressure from MLAs and so the move raised eyebrows in sections of the party.

Barring Congress stalwart N.D. Tiwari, no chief minister has completed the full five-year term in the hill state that came into existence in 2000, bifurcated from Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP and the Congress are the principal parties in the state.

“I am thankful to the party for having given me this opportunity to serve the people,” Trivendra said, adding that he would have completed four years as chief minister in just nine days. He said he hailed from a small village and a humble family and never thought he would become a chief minister.

Like Trivendra, his likely successor Dhan Singh Rawat also has deep RSS roots and belong to the same Thakur caste. Dhan Singh, however, is much younger. He is 45 whereas Trivendra is 60. Party leaders said it was also a move to build a young leadership in the state.

Likely deputy chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami too is below 50 years.

Party insiders said it was Trivendra who had suggested the name of Dhan Singh to the central leadership as his successor.