When Trivendra Singh Rawat was not busy with party work, he was often seen playing badminton in Dehradun's Defence Colony.
Uttarakhand's chief minister-designate, a former pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), had started his political career as a booth worker in the state.
BJP President Amit Shah conveyed the message to Rawat two days before the meeting of the MLAs, held in Dehradun on Friday, when he was elected leader of the party's legislative party. He will be sworn in on Saturday in as the state's ninth chief minister in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
Generally seen in kurta pyjama, Rawat's simplicity and uprightness had earned him respect in the party. Those close to him said he knew every party worker in the state by name. Rawat was the quintessential party leader who fit the BJP's criteria for the post—untainted, self-made and a grass-roots worker.
"This is the unique thing about BJP that even a booth worker can become chief minister. Trivendra understands Uttarakhand very well," said BJP's national spokesperson Anil Baluni.
He said one slogan—"Atalji ne banaya, Modi sawarange (Modi is strengthening what Atalji built up)" had changed the election in Uttarakhand. "The chief minister can now work towards fulfilling that dream," he said.
Rawat, born to a serviceman, had no family background in politics. His father wanted him to become a soldier, but Rawat chose politics. A devotee of Shiva, he visits Kedarnath every year.
The 56-year-old leader, one of the 57 newly elected BJP MLAs, had won from Doiwala for the third time, since 2002. He was a minister in the BJP government of 2007 in the state.
His links with Prime Minister Narendra Modi go back to the days when Rawat was the sangathan mantri (organising secretary) of undivided Uttar Pradesh, when Uttarakhand was still part of the state. Modi was then organising secretary based in Delhi and used to make frequent trips to Kedarnath.
Rawat got close to Shah in 2014. Shah was given charge of Uttar Pradesh and Rawat was co-incharge. The BJP had swept the state, winning 71 of the 80 seats. Ever since, he has played a role in the party at the national level. In charge of Jharkhand, he was also convenor of the Modi government's Namami Gange programme.
After joining the RSS in 1979, he worked as a pracharak in several tehsils of the state for around a decade and in 1993 was appointed secretary (organisation) of BJP.
Rawat's name was proposed by senior party leader Satpal Maharaj and former assembly speaker Prakash Pant, both of whom were contenders for the post of chief minister.
