Lok Sabha poll candidature Trivendra Singh Rawat's first big opportunity since removal as U'khand CM

Dehradun: For Trivendra Singh Rawat, contesting the Lok Sabha elections is the first big political opportunity to come his way since his sudden removal as Uttarakhand chief minister in March 2021, barely a few before he was to complete four years in office.

The BJP on Wednesday declared him as the party's candidate for Haridwar, axing another former chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

Nishank had won the seat in both the 2014 and the 2019 general elections.

Rawat was Uttarakhand chief minister from March 2017. He was replaced by Tirath Singh Rawat, who helmed affairs of the state for four months before being succeeded by Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Dhami is currently in his second term as chief minister.

Rawat said, "I always knew my party will give me an opportunity. I thank the party leadership, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, (Union) Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda, for reposing their faith in me."

However, he refused to subscribe to the view that contesting the Lok Sabha polls marks the end of his time in the political wilderness.

"It is not correct to think that way. I was given organisational responsibilities and got a chance to travel a lot during that period," he said.

Rawat won from the Doiwala assembly seat, which is part of the Haridwar Lok Sabha constituency, in 2002, 2007 and 2017.