A day after the Congress High Command’s nod for a change of guard in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna submitted his resignation on Thursday. The new Chief Minister is likely to be announced by this weekend after the central observers’ meeting on Saturday.

AICC sources said that Bahuguna’s senior Cabinet colleague Indira Hriyadesh remains the frontrunner among the other strong contenders Pritam Singh, also a State Minister, and Union Minister Harish Rawat. Though the decision to change the CM was taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, there has neither been any official confirmation about it nor about Bahuguna ‘s replacement.

Anticipating a revolt in the party, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was to visit the State as central observer on Thursday, had to defer his plans. He will now go there along with AICC general secretaries Janardan Dwivedi and Ambika Soni, who is also in-charge of party affairs in the State, on Saturday.

Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal said he was in favour of a grassroot leader as the Chief Minister if the Congress central leadership goes for a change of guard in the State. Kunjwal is considered close to Harish Rawat, who was a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s post when Congress got a majority in the State in 2012.

“Appointment of a grassroot leader with an understanding of the State’s problems as Chief Minister will lead to more development activities in the State. It will also lead to a change in the work culture,” Kunjwal said without taking any name. The mishandling of the rescue and rehabilitation work following last year’s devastating flash floods also brought Bahuguna’s leadership skills into question.

The change of guard in Uttarakhand became imminent when the party High Command last week started considering Indira as a replacement. AICC sources said that the central leadership has opted for a woman Brahmin face to prepare itself for the upcoming lok Sabha elections.

It has been cleared that the State is going to get new PCC president as well because incumbent PCC president Yashpal Arya has already submitted his resignation to party high command.

Meanwhile, Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj along with a letter signed by 22 MlAs has marched to Delhi. Talking to The Pioneer, Narendranagar MlA Subodh Uniyal, who was roaming in the Secretariat on Thursday, categorically said, “We have already expressed our views before party high command and hope that party high command will take final decision.” He further added that through the media, he come to know that party observers comprising two or three Cabinet Ministers are coming to Dehradun on February 1 but no official information has come so far.

Cabinet Minister Hridayesh has already conveyed her wish before media stating that she has been a member of legislative Assembly and legislative council since 1974 so she could replace Chief Minister Bahuguna. She has been playing card that Himachal Pradesh is being governed by the Thakur Chief Minister so Uttarakhand Chief Minister seat should go to Brahmin  only as this is equation being followed currently.

Bahuguna’s faction has played Satpal Maharaj card for PCC president because if Maharaj become PCC president then Chief Minister would be Brahmin. If Rawat becomes Chief Minister then PCC president’s post would go to a Brahmin. To counter all pros and cons, Harish Rawat is backing former MlA Kishore Upadhayay’s name for the PCC president. With this, they want to make balance between caste and region. For instance if Rawat, who is Thakur and belongs to Kumaon, and Upadhaya is Brahmin and belongs to Garhwal.

Meanwhile, Harish Rawat supporting MlAs have appealed party high command not to send Ghulam Nabi Azad because in March 2012 he had played pivotal role in the appointment of Vijay Bahuguna as Chief Minister of State. In this perspective, Rawat faction is very apprehensive that he may again create hurdle before him.

The Congress, with 33 members in the Assembly, enjoys the support of seven MlAs from Progressive Democratic Front that comprises three Independents, three BSP MlAs and one from Uttarakhand Kranti Dal.