Things happening thick and fast in the moving matrix of the State Congress politics, Vijay Bahuguna began pressuring Harish Rawat to induct two of his loyalists - Subodh Uniyal and Dr Shailendra Mohan Singhal - into the Cabinet. But a wily Rawat chose to keep things hang fire. later, the plot thickened as another Cabinet minister Amrita Rawat who had never been among the confidantes of Rawat was forced to quit the Cabinet in the aftermath of her husband Satpal Maharaj switching to the BJP when the State was in the thick of the 2014 electioneering. Dinesh Dhanai filled the berth vacated by Amrita Rawat. Bahuguna continued pressuring Harish Rawat for the induction of his loyalists. The demand was not unjustified, as a Cabinet expansion was due after a Cabinet minister from the PDF quota Surendra Rakesh died. Things turned more favourable for the Congress after Rakesh's widow Mamta had won the Assembly by-election on Congress ticket. Congress's strength rose up to 36-the magic figure, connoting absolute majority for the party in the 70-member House. Notably, Congress had started its innings in the present Assembly with 32 MlAs in its kitty. Party left secure in terms of number to run the government on its own, sans support from the PDF, its ally with six MlAs, Bahuguna faction raised the demand of ridding the government of PDF to make room for the entries of more Congressmen in the Cabinet. Rawat remaining unmoved, Bahuguna kept meeting the party high command. He met Harish Rawat too. But things remaining unchanged, murmur of dissents started reaching crescendo.
Yashpal Arya was Rawat's next target, according to the party insiders. But he escaped the axe as he staged an impressive Iftaar Party-2015 in his Assembly constituency Bazpur. Formidable Cabinet Minister Indira Hridayesh was found in the sulk mode too. She kept herself busy with the task of completing Haldwani stadium. She was conspicuously absent from the puja that was held at the behest of Harish Rawat to mark the construction of the stadium. Her supporters said she was unhappy being provided with 1000 passes in place of 4000 as committed by Rawat.
Meanwhile, Rawat showed his prowess when he had one of his staunchest loyalists Kishore Upadhyay appointed as the State party chief. Confident that he was unrivalled in the State party with the dissenters put into their 'right' places, he focused on Garisain that is being projected as the future capital of the State. It was a scheme that was shelved after Dikshit commission had submitted report during the BJP regime of Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khaduri. Rawat decided to steal the fire from Bahuguna as it was the latter who had had convened the first cabinet meeting there followed by laying of foundation stone in 2013.
Harish Rawat convened Vidhan Sabha session in a makeshift structure in 2014 and again in the ITI College premises in 2015. However, things turned sour for Rawat as two important cabinet ministers Indira Hridayesh and Harak Singh Rawat expressed their strong reservation over Gairsain being mulled as the summer capital of the State. Taking things as dissension brewing within Congress, BJP hit on it to embarrass Harish Rawat. BJP demanded the State government to clear its stance on the emotive issue once and for all instead of playing frivolous game with the sentiments of the hill people .
Harak Singh Rawat was hurt as Harish Rawat had made his arch rival Pradeep Thapliyal Rudraprayag district Congress president, using the power of the PCC chief, his stooge. Many insiders said this was a miscalculated move on the part of Harish Rawat. long smoldering embers started taking definite forms leading to the final conflagration.
Vijay Bahuguna who had been nurturing grudges against Harish Rawat since the day he was made to relinquish CM's chair was exasperated after Harish Rawat trashed him by denying him the nomination for Rajya Sabha seat, vacated by former CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari after the latter was elected to the lok Sabha in general election-2014. Rawat bared his fangs as he favoured former Dehradun mayor Manorma Dobriyal Sharma with the RS seat in 2014. Things repeated as after Manorma's death Harish Rawat conjured up Bollywood actor- turned politician Rajbabbar from nowhere to contest the seat a year after. Spell of humiliation for Bahuguna did not stop even here. Bahuguna, who had been confined in Delhi for long on account of his ailing granddaughter's treatment, had sought an appointment with Harish Rawat on his return to Dehradun in November in 2015. He was refused with Rawat's acolytes citing his indisposition. Enraged, Bahuguna announced that he would travel the length and breath of the State to gauge the collective mood with the election drawing near. However, in the same breath, he said he was not in the race for the chief ministership. later, party high command had summoned both Bahuguna and Rawat in Delhi in 2015. This fuelled speculation that at least one Bahuguna loyalist would be inducted in the cabinet. But the hope of the dissident camp again proved a chimera with Rawat refusing to take note of the freezing equations. With this, things ruptured finally as Bahuguna is supposed to have resolved then to teach Harish Rawat a bitter lesson to avenge his protracted humiliation.