Proving wrong all the exit polls, the Bhartiya Janta Party is all set to secure a second consecutive term in the state of Uttarakhand. The state of Uttarakhand has seen the BJP and Congress coming to power every alternate election since the formation of the state. But this is the first time when the upcoming election trends suggest that BJP will sweep the hill state.
But what are the factors that led to BJP’s consecutive win in the hill state?
Uniform Civil Code
Despite the Central government’s dormant stand on the Uniform Civil Code, the BJP government of Uttarakhand announced its implementation if it is re-elected to power. With Dhami’s announcement, some even predicted that the BJP is making Devbhoomi the testing ground for UCC, before its nationwide rollout.
Read More: Will the BJP use Uttarakhand become a testing ground for UCC?
UCC has been mentioned in the constitution and the Article 44 lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a UCC for the citizens, but the Bhartiya Janta Party presented it as its political agenda and the election result trends suggest they may very soon reap the benefits of the same.
The BJP followers know that UCC has been an ideological promise of the party.
The ‘Land Jihad’ in Uttarakhand
The state of Uttarakhand has been traditionally known as the ‘Devbhoomi’. As the state has some of the most ancient temples and holy cities, like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Haridwar, Gangotri.
Read More: The reason Uttarakhand needs strict “Land-Laws” to conserve the Sanatani culture
But to retain its image of Devbhoomi, it needs strict land laws that have the potential to prevent encroachment by migrants and non-indigenous people. The rapid demographic transitions happening in the hill state poses a danger to the sentiment of the hill state.
The BJP’s stand on the same is believed to have benefitted BJP. The Pushkar Singh Dhami government has begun its crackdown on ‘land jihad’ in October last year. Dhami led BJP government, decided to form a committee to enquire into the illegal usurping of land.
Read More: Char Dham will not be handled by the government anymore, but by Bhagwan’s Bhakts
The decision to not govern ‘Char Dham’
The BJP government of Uttarakhand heard the plight of the bhakts of Bhagwan and decided to scrap the Devasthanam Board Act, 2019. After the repealing of this act, the management will now be taken care of by bhakts themselves. Along with this, almost 50 mandirs have been freed from the clutches of the government and can now be handled by Pujaris appointed by the Bhakts’ consensus. These include Char Dham shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri as well.
There is just one way to win elections, win the hearts of the voters. And the resulting trend suggests that the BJP with all its aforementioned steps has won the hearts of the people of the Himalayan state.