The BJP on Saturday sacked Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and decided to replace him with B C Khanduri — the former Union highways minister who Pokhriyal had succeeded two years ago. The musical chairs was concluded at a meeting of top BJP leaders after which party president Nitin Gadkari announced the change. Although Gadkari said there were no charges against Pokhriyal, the party is understood to have been worried about reports of corruption and poor administration trickling in from the hillstate. In choosing Khanduri, the BJP has taken a gamble. While the leader has a clean image and is seen as a good administrator, he is likely to face opposition from state leaders like Bhagat Singh Koshiyari apart from Pokhriyal. But with elections due in 2012, the party feels Khanduri’s acceptability is much more than any other leader and will be BJP’s bestbet. Khanduri — who earned a reputation for developing the highways programme in the Vajpayee government — will also have to overcome criticism that he is aloof and does not interact with party MLAs. But BJP is looking to him to deliver some quick results by revving the administration and changing the trends reflected in Congress winning all five Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2009. “In an election Khanduri’s image will be a plus,” said party sources.
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