Dehradun: Uttarakhand, ruled by the BJP under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, is heading toward Assembly elections scheduled for February next year.
In the run-up, the party has been hit by a wave of exits, with several senior leaders and former MLAs switching to the Congress. Those who left have accused the state government of failing on law and order.
The political pressure has also been fuelled by renewed debate around the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old hotel receptionist in Dehradun. The case drew attention after allegations that a “VIP” had called her to a room before she was killed; while a chargesheet cited a VIP link, the person’s identity has not been established publicly.
A trial court last year sentenced three accused, including the son of a BJP leader, to life imprisonment. Opposition parties have again raised the “VIP” angle and have claimed the person involved is a BJP leader.
Against this backdrop, questions are being asked about the BJP’s ability to retain power. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Dehradun on April 14 and interact with around 30,000 party workers, with party seniors watching closely for signals of support for the organisation and the chief minister.
