Uttarakhand political crisis LIVE updates: Pushkar Singh Dhami, sitting MLA from Khatima, to be the next CM

The decision was taken in the meeting of the Uttarakhand BJP legislature party held on Saturday, a day after Tirath Singh Rawat had resigned as the chief minister.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, the sitting MLA from Khatima, is set to be the next chief minister of Uttarakhand. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Uttarakhand BJP legislature party held on Saturday, a day after Tirath Singh Rawat had resigned as the CM. Dhami will be the third chief minister of Uttarakhand in four months.

Interacting with the media after the announcement, Dhami said he would work for the welfare of the people within the short span of time for which he would be at the helm. “My party has appointed a common worker, son of an ex-serviceman, who was born in Pithoragarh to serve the state. We’ll work together for people’s welfare. We accept the challenge of serving people with the help of others, in a short time span,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

BJP has sought to downplay talks of political instability in the state and said it will win the Assembly polls next year. Congress, however, said that the saffron party has insulted the ‘devbhoomi’ of Uttarakhand, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president J P Nadda are responsible for the current situation.

Rawat had on Friday handed over his resignation to Governor Baby Rani Maurya at around 11 pm, hours after returning from Delhi where he was summoned by the top BJP leadership on Wednesday. Rawat, who continues to be an MP, had been handpicked by the central leadership as CM, in place of Trivendra Singh Rawat. Having been sworn in on March 10, he had time to get elected as an MLA till September 10. However, apart from Covid curbs making holding a bypoll difficult, as per the Representation of the People Act, a by-election for a seat should not be held if the term of a House is less than a year.

Uttarakhand Live News Updates: Pushkar Singh Dhami, sitting MLA from Khatima, to be the next CM. Follow this space for the latest updates.

Scenes after Pushkar Singh Dhami was chosen as the next CM

“My party has appointed a common worker, son of an ex-serviceman, who was born in Pithoragarh to serve the state. We’ll work together for people’s welfare. We accept the challenge of serving people with the help of others, in a short time span,” Pushkar Singh Dhami was quoted as saying by ANI.

BJP leader Tirath Singh Rawat said in Dehradun on Saturday that the BJP will win 2022 elections.

“The Legislature party meeting will be held at 3 pm today. It is certain that BJP will win 2022 elections,” he told news agency ANI.

Referring to the 2022 Uttarakhand elections, BJP MP Ajay Bhatt Saturday said that the party will win more seats than Congress.

“BJP does not compromise on safety & betterment of the people; First nation, then party & finally us is our motto. We will win more seats than Congress; they will get an answer during counting,” he told news agency ANI.

Former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat Saturday said he isn’t a part of the rat race to become the CM and he wasn’t so earlier too. “Neither was I part of the race earlier, nor today. The legislative party leader will be elected at the meeting today: Former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat when asked about his candidature for CM post again,” he told news agency ANI.

“Had he (Tirath Singh Rawat) not resigned, it would have led to Constitutional crisis. In some states, bypolls were delayed due to Covid. Circumstances have led to this situation. Leader to be elected at today’s legislature meet,” Trivendra Singh Rawat said.

Former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat Saturday said he isn’t a part of the rat race to become the CM and he wasn’t so earlier too. “Neither was I part of the race earlier, nor today. The legislative party leader will be elected at the meeting today: Former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat when asked about his candidature for CM post again,” he told news agency ANI.

“Had he (Tirath Singh Rawat) not resigned, it would have led to Constitutional crisis. In some states, bypolls were delayed due to Covid. Circumstances have led to this situation. Leader to be elected at today’s legislature meet,” Trivendra Singh Rawat said.

Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation so close to elections is not likely to end BJP’s woes in Uttarakhand. Choosing a new CM will set off fresh tremors in the faction-ridden state unit, and explaining the frequent change of guard to the electorate won’t be an easy task. Read more here

Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation so close to elections is not likely to end BJP’s woes in Uttarakhand. Choosing a new CM will set off fresh tremors in the faction-ridden state unit, and explaining the frequent change of guard to the electorate won’t be an easy task. Read more here

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat at his residence in New Delhi on Friday. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)

Speaking to mediapersons after submitting his resignation, Tirath Singh Rawat thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda for trusting him with the chief minister’s post. “Considering the constitutional crisis… I found it appropriate to resign,” he said.

Rawat had returned to Dehradun just hours earlier, after three days in Delhi, where he met Nadda twice and Shah once. Amidst uncertainty over his continuance in the post, this had been Rawat’s third visit to Delhi within a month.

Rawat, who continues to be an MP, had been handpicked by the central leadership as CM, in place of Trivendra Singh Rawat, after the latter ran foul of the RSS as well as many within the BJP. Having been sworn in on March 10, he had time to get elected as an MLA till September 10.

However, apart from Covid curbs making holding a bypoll difficult, as per the Representation of the People Act, a by-election for a seat should not be held if the term of a House is less than a year. Uttarakhand goes to polls next year.

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