In 2017 assembly elections barthwal was denied party ticket and BJP decided to field Ritu Khanduri daughter of former uttarakhand chief minister instead of her against huge public outrage.
On 22 December 2018, Senior BJP leader Vijay Barthwal has been made the chairperson of Uttarakhand State Women's commission.
After the formal announcement of her election by the assembly Speaker Harbans Kapoor, the ruling party members including leader of the house and Chief Minister B C Khanduri greeted Barthawal saying, getting elected, as a woman, for this high constitutional post is a step forward towards the women empowerment in the state.
However, the main Opposition Indian National Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party members abstained on the occasion.
They also criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for not following the healthy traditions of a parliamentary democracy and said that the post of deputy speaker goes to the opposition by convention.