Tirath Rawat sworn in Uttarakhand CM, ministry expansion soon

BJP Garhwal MP and national secretary Tirath Singh Rawat on Wednesday took oath as the new chief minister of Uttarakhand. He replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat who quit a day earlier. The CM was the only person to take oath at a hurriedly-organised ceremony, but his ministry is expected to be expanded in a week. The new CM is expected to reach New Delhi soon to meet with his party’s national leadership and discuss contours of ministry expansion, party insiders told ET

Rawat was elected BJP legislative party leader at a meeting in Dehradun earlier in the day. His name was proposed by the outgoing CM. Party insiders claimed that until Tuesday evening TS Rawat had no idea that he would become CM. BJP central observers Raman Singh and Dushyant Gautam had reached Dehradun on Tuesday evening and remained in touch with state leaders and the central leadership. They later asked all 5 MPs to be present for Wednesday’s legislative party meeting.

Discussions continued between the central leadership and party observers till late on Tuesday and by Wednesday morning there was consensus that the CM should not be one of the MLAs. At the same time, the party’s search for a senior leader who could lead the government and address grievances of MLAs without bias led to it zeroing in on TSR, considered close to the central leadership. He does not belong to any camp in the state, according to party insiders, and this went in his favour.


“I thank party leaders for entrusting me with this important responsibility. I had never thought that I would become CM of the state,” Tirath Singh Rawat told media persons after taking oath. “I shall carry forward the good work done under four years of Trivendra Singh Rawat and will take along everyone.