Trivendra Singh Rawat sworn in as Uttarakhand CM

DEHRADUN: Trivendra Singh Rawat took oath as the Uttarakhand’s 9th Chief Minister in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP’s national president Amit Shah at Parade ground in Dehradun on Saturday afternoon. Apart from him, nine ministers, including two ministers of state, were administered the oath of the office by the state governor K K Paul.

Union Ministers-Rajnath Singh and Uma Bharti, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Satpal Maharaj
Former Union Minister Satpal Maharaj, who was MP from Pauri Garhwal seat for two terms, has entered the Uttarakhand assembly for the first time. He had left the Congress party and subsequently joined BJP at the time of Lok Sabha elections in 2014. He was considered to be among the front runners for the post of Uttarakhand CM this time. Apart from politics, he is known face in the world of spiritualism. He has followers in country’s different parts.

Prakash Pant
Former speaker of Uttarakhand assembly Prakash Pant has entered the state assembly for the third time from Pithoragarh seat. He had lost the assembly polls in 2012. Later, he lost the Sitarganj by-poll to the then CM Vijay Bahuguna. He was considered to be among the frontrunners for the state’s top post.

Harak Singh Rawat
Considered to be a political bigwig in the Uttarakhand politics, Harak Singh was most surprise part of the anti-Harish Rawat camp within Congress party. Along with Congress party’s 10 rebels who revolted against the then CM Harish Rawat and sided with former CM Vijay Bahuguna, Harak had joined the BJP. He has defeated Surendra Singh Negi, who was health minister in Harish Rawat government in Kotdwar seat. It was the same Negi who had defeated former CM B C Khanduri in Kotdwar in 2012.

Kotdwar was a new assembly seat for Harak. In 2012, he had won Rudraprayag seat. He had first entered the UP assembly in 1991 and became a minister in UP government. His quality is that he kept on changing his constituencies since his entry into politics in 1991. He has so far not lost any assembly polls.

Madan Kaushik
BJP’s old horse Madan Kaushik has entered the Uttarakhand assembly from Hardwar seat for the fourth consecutive term. Since Hardwar figures high on the BJP’ agenda in view of its status as the land of “Sadhu and Matha”, Madan may get an important portfolio. He was a minister in the BJP government in the past also. His good quality is that he is easily accessible to his voters.

Yashpal Arya
Yashpal Arya, who was once SC face of Congress party in Uttarakhand, had surprised everyone by joining the BJP in the last leg of assembly polls this time. Apart from fielding him from his Bajpur seat, BJP rewarded him with a ticket for his son Sanjeev Arya to contest from Nainital. Arya and his son Sanjeev have now entered the state assembly. He was also a minister in Harish Rawat government.

Subodh Uniyal
The most vocal face of former CM Vijay Bahuguna camp within Congress, Uniyal had also revolted against the then CM Harish Rawat and subsequently joined BJP. He has entered the state assembly for the third time from Narendra Nagar seat.

Arvind Pandey
He is MLA from Gadarpur seat.

Minister of state:

Dhan Singh Rawat: Dhan Singh Rawat is considered to be a man of BJP organisation. He was engaged by his party in 2015 Bihar assembly polls. He has entered the state assembly from Srinagar seat for the first time.

Rekha Arya: She has won from Someshwar seat. She had won the by-poll to someshwar seat as Congress nominee. She had sided with BJP at the recent trust vote in the state assembly.