Pushkar Singh Dhami is now set to become the 11th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, the third change in the post within a short span of four months.
Dhami will take oath as the new CM at Raj Bhavan at 5 pm on Sunday.
Tirath Singh Rawat tendered his resignation to Governor Baby Rani Maurya late Friday night amid internal political unrest and dwindling hopes of being elected to the state legislature by September 10.
Assembly elections are due in less than a year in Uttarakhand.
The two-time MLA from Kumaon region (Khatima constituency) announced his name for the office in a meeting held at the BJP headquarters.
The BJP Legislature Party meeting was also attended by party’s central observer Narendra Singh Tomar, who reached Dehradun in the afternoon and its state in-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam also attended.
After the meeting, Tomar said that former CMs Trivendra Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat have accepted the mandate of electing Pushkar Singh Dhami as the next CM of Uttarakhand.
The names of sitting MLAs and ministers like Satpal Maharaj, Banshidar Bhagat, Harak Singh Rawat and Dhan Singh Rawat were in the news for the new CM post. It was also speculated that leaders from the Kumaon region such as Bishan Chaupal and Pushkar Singh Dhami might be a surprise choice, and the latter became the final choice for the party.
After his selection, Dhami told the media on Saturday: “My party has appointed a common worker, son of an ex-serviceman, who was born in Pithoragarh, to serve the state. We will work together for the welfare of the people. We accept the challenge of serving people with the help of others in less time.”
He also thanked his party workers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being given the role, adding that he would continue the “good work done by the party”.
Celebrations were also held at Dhami’s residence at Khalima. His mother got emotional and told the media that if Dhami’s father was alive, she would have been very happy. His wife Geeta Dhami said that Pushkar Dhami fulfills all his responsibilities very well.
Meanwhile, after his resignation, Tirath Singh Rawat said that it is certain that the BJP will win the 2022 elections.
Ahead of his resignation on Friday night, the leader had held a press conference in which he listed out all the achievements made by the government during his tenure. He had refused to answer any questions about his resignation and the subsequent Guard of Guard.
In March this year, after resentment against former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, a then MP Tirath Singh Rawat was sworn in as the Chief Minister.
Rawat, on the other hand, had to secure an assembly seat by September 10 to retain his job.
However, the by-elections were unlikely to be held amid the devastating second wave of the Covid pandemic, especially considering that the assembly elections are less than a year away.
Rawat himself did Kovid On 22 March, exactly 12 days after he was sworn in, and the timing of the same proved politically disastrous for him. His report came positive just a day before the Election Commission’s announcement that by-polls to Uttarakhand’s Salt Assembly constituency would be announced on March 23. This impending by-poll was on the BJP’s mind while electing Rawat, an MP, as the CM on March 10.
However, Rawat had to go into self-isolation for 14 days till the first week of April after being infected with Kovid, while the last date for filing nominations for the Salt bypoll seat was March 30. On Saturday, Rawat gave the reason for this. He could not contest the by-election. He had tested negative on April 4, ahead of the by-election held on April 17 and was eventually won comfortably by the BJP.
Pushkar Singh Dhami, a ‘Humble Worker’
Born on September 16, 1975, Kanalichinna in Pithoragarh districtDhami’s early education took place in the village itself. He completed his higher education from Lakhlau University.
Dhami is a Post Graduate in Management. He completed LLB from Lucknow University in 2002.
His father was a former soldier. Apart from Dhami, there are three sisters in the family.
The BJP legislator has been the president of the BJP youth wing in the hill state twice as he served as the state chief of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 2002 to 2006.
Dhami is considered close to Bhagat Singh Koshyari, a former chief minister and currently the governor of Maharashtra and Goa. The 45-year-old leader has the image of an undisputed leader.
Though it will not be easy for Dhami to take up the role of CM in Uttarakhand; One has to adjust with the senior legislators as well as the bureaucracy. His lack of experience in running the government could also prove to be a stumbling block.
Congress targets BJP
rotating CM event However, this has become an embarrassment for the party, given that it will have three chief ministers in the final year of the election; Giving the message that all is not well within the BJP in Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, Congress took a jibe at the BJP leadership, saying instead of heralding development, it has thrown Uttarakhand into political instability and betrayed its people by repeatedly changing chief ministers.
The Congress alleged, “BJP has insulted the ‘Devbhoomi’ of Uttarakhand and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president JP Nadda are responsible for the current situation.”
Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat said, “Starting with Nityanand Swami, the BJP will have eight chief ministers in the state.” He said that Uttarakhand will have three chief ministers in the latest four-and-a-half year rule of the BJP.
“The Congress condemns the BJP for insulting the state and its people by doing nothing to solve the problems of the state,” he said.
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