New Delhi: With Pushkar Singh Dhami taking oath as the chief minister of Uttarakhand for the second time in a row, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its task cut out in the hilly state of ushering in an era of stability and development.
Though Dhami was defeated in his assembly seat of Khatima which he represented in the state assembly in 2012 and 2017, he was chosen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP top brass for infusing new energy into the party after he took over as chief minister in last July. He was the third chief minister inducted by the BJP in the past five years in Uttarakhand. Needless to say, he proved his credentials and came out with flying colours in the assembly elections as the BJP won 47 of the 70 total seats of the state assembly. It is also for the first time that a party has secured a second consecutive term in office in Uttarakhand which was carved out of U.P. 22 years ago.
Along with Dhami, eight ministers, including three new faces, were also inducted into the Cabinet and took the oath of office. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief J P Nadda and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. With the BJP throwing its full support and weight behind Dhami, it would be for him to give a new shape to the developmental projects in the state and address the crucial issues of environmental protection and unemployment which has led to the youth from the state to look for greener pastures elsewhere. At the same time, he would have to ensure political stability in the state as well.
