Rumour mongers had a field day in Uttarakhand on Saturday, with the state BJP holding a surprise core group meeting in the state capital. It was speculated that the meeting was linked with the leadership change in the state with some claiming it was for ministerial expansion. Bharatiya Janata Party national vice president and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Dr Raman Singh and national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam arrived in Dehradun as observers to interact with party leaders and ministers.

After at tending the Uttarakhand Assembly budget session at Gairsain in Chamoli district, Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat rushed to Dehradun to join the state core group meeting. The anti-Trivendra Rawat camp became active and many speculative names, becoming the new CM, were in circulation in the media. But, as the day progressed the media speculation turned out to be a damp squib.

Joining the speculation game, former Uttarakhand CM and All India Congress Committee general secretary Harish Rawat said, “Again there is speculation about leadership change in Uttarakhand. Somebody is getting ready in Delhi and some other in Mumbai. It appears political instability has now become a permanent feature in the state. BJP just have one answer to its inability, face change.”

The sudden convening of the Uttarakhand BJP core group meeting, adjournment of state assembly, and the Chief Minister and other mini s ter s heading for Dehradun raised the political temperature in the hill state.

Uttarakhand BJP president Bansidhar Bhagat interacted with the media after coming out of the core group meeting. He said, “The meeting was fixed earlier and it was not hosted suddenly. The Trivendra Singh Rawat government will be completing four year in office on coming 18 March and the meeting was hosted to discuss and chalk out plans to celebrate the event. How to take the achievements of the state government to the public was discussed. There is no confusion and there is no chance of leadership change. The news is only on TV.”

After the core group meeting, the participants headed for the Chief Minister’s residence for the tea party. The arrival of party observers is all set to keep the rumour-mongers active for a few more weeks.