New Delhi: The political fate of Pushkar Singh DhamiYoungest Chief Minister ever Uttarakhandlikely to be decided on an important BJP Legislature party meeting on Monday
The party’s central observers for Uttarakhand Rajnath Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi are expected to reach Dehradun on Sunday, a day before the meeting.
BJP spokesperson Shadab Shams told PTI that the swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on Tuesday, which is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda and chief ministers of several BJP-ruled states.
After the election results of March 10, a question mark has been raised over the continuation of the post of Chief Minister Dhami.
While the BJP registered a comfortable victory in the hill state, CM Dhami lost to Congress’s Bhuvan Kapri from Khatima constituency.
This sparked speculation that the BJP might replace Dhami with state stalwarts like Chaubattakhal MLA Satpal Maharaj. Shrinagar MLA Dhan Singh Rawat or Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni.
However, sources told PTI that the BJP is likely to continue with Dhami for the top post as he is young and energetic and the saffron party won the election under his leadership.
Sources said the BJP would like to avoid another change in Uttarakhand as it has changed its chief minister twice in a year before the elections.
If Keshav Prasad Maurya, who lost his seat in Uttar Pradesh, can be made the deputy CM again, why can’t Dhami be made the chief minister? A BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said.
However, if the party goes for a fresh face, the need for a caste and regional balance will be a deciding factor in the choice of the next chief minister, sources said.
Since Ajay Bhatt, a Brahmin from Kumaon, has already been made a Union Minister of State, a Thakur or Rajput from Garhwal could be chosen for the chief minister’s post, striking the much-needed caste and regional balance.
If so, Satpal Maharaj or Dhan Singh Rawat, the prominent Thakur leader of Garhwal, could emerge as the favourites.
There is also talk of a new cabinet which is likely to include more young faces and more women.
The names of Saurabh Bahuguna and Ritu Khanduri Bhushan are likely for the ministerial post. Saurabh Bahuguna, who won from Sitarganj, is the son of former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, who won from Kotdwar, is the daughter of BJP veteran and former Chief Minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri.
(with inputs from PTI)
The party’s central observers for Uttarakhand Rajnath Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi are expected to reach Dehradun on Sunday, a day before the meeting.
BJP spokesperson Shadab Shams told PTI that the swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on Tuesday, which is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda and chief ministers of several BJP-ruled states.
After the election results of March 10, a question mark has been raised over the continuation of the post of Chief Minister Dhami.
While the BJP registered a comfortable victory in the hill state, CM Dhami lost to Congress’s Bhuvan Kapri from Khatima constituency.
This sparked speculation that the BJP might replace Dhami with state stalwarts like Chaubattakhal MLA Satpal Maharaj. Shrinagar MLA Dhan Singh Rawat or Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni.
However, sources told PTI that the BJP is likely to continue with Dhami for the top post as he is young and energetic and the saffron party won the election under his leadership.
Sources said the BJP would like to avoid another change in Uttarakhand as it has changed its chief minister twice in a year before the elections.
If Keshav Prasad Maurya, who lost his seat in Uttar Pradesh, can be made the deputy CM again, why can’t Dhami be made the chief minister? A BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said.
However, if the party goes for a fresh face, the need for a caste and regional balance will be a deciding factor in the choice of the next chief minister, sources said.
Since Ajay Bhatt, a Brahmin from Kumaon, has already been made a Union Minister of State, a Thakur or Rajput from Garhwal could be chosen for the chief minister’s post, striking the much-needed caste and regional balance.
If so, Satpal Maharaj or Dhan Singh Rawat, the prominent Thakur leader of Garhwal, could emerge as the favourites.
There is also talk of a new cabinet which is likely to include more young faces and more women.
The names of Saurabh Bahuguna and Ritu Khanduri Bhushan are likely for the ministerial post. Saurabh Bahuguna, who won from Sitarganj, is the son of former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, who won from Kotdwar, is the daughter of BJP veteran and former Chief Minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri.
(with inputs from PTI)