Pushkar Singh Dhami takes oath as the 11th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand

Pushkar Singh Dhami took oath as the 11th chief minister of Uttarakhand at a function at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday afternoon.

Three ministers of state were promoted to Cabinet rank. He has retained all the 11 ministers, who were part of the previous Tirath Singh Rawat government, in his cabinet. The retention of all the ministers is a clear indication that the party does not want to create any controversy with the assembly polls being so close.

Ahead of his swearing-in ceremony, Dhami and the BJP reached out to the senior leaders, many of whom were said to be sulking after being sidelined in the race for the CM's post.


Dhami will have to start work immediately as he has very little time to balance the power equations within the party, between the bureaucrats and the politicians.

Dhami will be watched for his stand on the stalled Chardham yatra that will have immediate political impact. Tirath Singh Rawat had announced a review of the Devasthanam board decision that allowed government control over more than 50 temples in the state. Chardham Yatra is a major source of income for the people in the hills.

Dhami will also have to ensure smooth relationships with the Centre and will be expected to speed up the ongoing Centre-state projects. The new chief minister has indicated that he will continue with the projects announced by his predecessor Tirath Singh Rawat.

Another major challenge for the new CM is to revive the tourism sector, which has been hit by Covid-19.

On Sunday morning, Dhami also visited the residence of former chief minister B C Khanduri and sought his blessings.