The big 5-0 win in the Lok Sabha polls from Uttarakhand has provided added strength to BJP and to the leadership of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Rawat. On the other hand Uttarakhand Congress has landed in deep crisis with the defeat and the infighting posing a heavy challenge for the party to return to a winning track in the hill state. Congress leaders have begun attacking own party leaders.

Dharchula MLA Harish Dhami blamed state Congress president Pritam Singh and senior Congress leader Indira Hridayesh for the defeat as they failed to fulfill their responsibilities. Infighting is Congress is likely to intensify further in coming days.

The huge defeat margin has completely rattled the Uttarakhand Congress. State BJP president Ajay Bhatt thrashed ex-Chief Minister and AICC general secretary Harish Rawat from Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 3,39,096 votes.

BJP candidate Ajay Tamta defeated Congress leader Pradeep Tamta by 2,32,986 votes at Almora seat. Tirath Rawat (BJP) scored a landslide victory over Manish Khanduri of Congress in Garhwal seat by a winning margin of 3,02,669 votes.

In Haridwar, senior BJP leader and sitting MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank won against Ambrish Kumar of Congress by a margin of 2,58,729 votes.

In Tehri BJP’s Mala Rajya Laxmi defeated her nearest rival of the Congress, Pritam Singh, by a margin of 3,00,586 votes.

The huge defeat margin has shocked Uttarakhand Congress. The party candidates failed to provide any serious challenge to BJP. The situation is alarming as Congress had suffered a 5-0 defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Uttarakhand too. It was followed by a humiliating defeat in the Uttarakhand assembly election in 2017.

In state assembly election, Congress got reduced to 11 seats in the 70- member house. BJP created history by winning 57 seats. This is the third major defeat for Congress in Uttarakhand. With three back-to-back defeats, Uttarakhand Congress is struggling in the hill state. The grand old party faces a big challenge in winning the trust of the public again in Uttarakhand.