Pushkar Singh Dhami resigns as Uttarakhand CM along with his Cabinet; decision on next CM face 'soon'

New Delhi, March 11

A day after BJP recorded a major victory in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami submitted his resignation and that of his Cabinet to Governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh.

“Since we’ve got a new mandate and this tenure is complete, I have tendered my resignation, along with that of the Cabinet, to the Governor. He has asked me to continue until the new government is sworn in,” Dhami said speaking to the media.

Dhami’s Cabinet colleagues, Satpal Maharaj, Ganesh Joshi and Swami Yatiswaranand, accompanied him to the Raj Bhavan. Notably, Dhami, on whose name the BJP had contested the Assembly polls, lost from Khatima— a seat which he had won in the past two consecutive Assembly elections.

The Khatima loss continued the myth about Uttarakhand’s “jinxed” CM residence. Apparently, no sitting CM has won an Assembly election in the hill state.

Sources say the BJP has appointed observers who will take the opinion of newly-elected MLAs. Amid speculation that Dhami still stands a chance, leaders here called the Uttarakhand verdict a vote for “continuation”. The central leadership yesterday discussed options, said sources, adding that the decision regarding the next CM is likely to be taken “in a day or two”. In any case, even if Dhami is replaced, it would be someone from the elected representatives, they said.

Dhami was chosen to lead the state after two successive changes (Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat), a decision that paid good dividends to the saffron party under him.

Meanwhile, the remaining course of action in the four states regarding oath-taking ceremonies may be taken around Holi, they said.