NEW DELHI, March 9 (TIWN): After days of speculations about his future amid rumblings among state leaders over his “style of functioning”, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat tendered his resignation to Governor Baby Rani Maurya in Dehradun on Wednesday.

The development came a day after Rawat met senior leaders in Delhi, including party president JP Nadda and Rajya Sabha MP and BJP’s national media in charge Anil Baluni.

Before the resignation, Rawat was closeted with close associates, including ministers Madan Kaushik and Dhan Singh Rawat, who has now emerged front-runner for the post. Incidentally, Baluni is another name on the long list of probables that includes Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, state cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj, Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar MP Ajay Bhat and general secretary of state BJP Suresh Bhat.

There is also talk about a Deputy CM “to assuage all sections and regions” of the state that goes to poll next year.  While sources said an “a name acceptable to all in mind the elections next year has already been decided”, BJP’s general secretary in charge of Uttarakhand Dushyant Gautam insisted the decision will be taken at a meeting of legislators on Wednesday. He also said that Trivendra Singh Rawat “will be given a big responsibility in the Centre”.