BJP may announce the name of Chief Minister for Uttarakhand today
new Delhi:
After the meeting of the newly elected MLAs in the state capital Dehradun, the BJP can announce the name of its Chief Minister for Uttarakhand today. The oath will be administered to the MLAs at 11 am. The party’s central observers for the hill state, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi, will oversee the announcement of the chief minister’s name.
Yesterday, Home Minister Amit Shah met senior BJP leaders including Uttarakhand’s caretaker Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and party chief JP Nadda in Delhi and discussed government formation in the state.
The BJP consolidated its second consecutive term in the state by winning 47 seats in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly. However, Mr Dhami lost the election from Khatima constituency.
The contenders for the top post in Uttarakhand are Mr Dhami, BJP’s Uttarakhand General Secretary Suresh Bhatt, party MP Anil Baluni; MLAs Dhan Singh Rawat, Satpal Maharaj and Ritu Khanduri, and party MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
There is also suspense about the top post in Goa where the race is going on between Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane. Earlier this week, sources said Mr Sawant is likely to get a second term at the top post. The decision is likely to be taken today before the BJP meets the governor to stake claim to form the government.
In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will take oath for his second term on Friday, the BJP said earlier last week. But there is no word on the size of his cabinet or on finalizing the names for the various ministries.