New Delhi:
The BJP is likely to announce its choice of Chief Minister for Uttarakhand today after a meeting of newly elected MLAs in the capital, Dehradun. The MLAs will be sworn in at 11 a.m. The Hill State party’s central observers Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi will oversee the announcement of the Chief Minister’s name.
Yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah met with Uttarakhand’s acting Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and senior BJP leaders, including party chief JP Nadda, in Delhi to discuss government formation in the state.
The BJP won 47 seats in the 70-member Uttarakhand assembly, confirming his second consecutive term in the state. However, Mr Dhami lost the elections from the Khatima constituency.
The contenders for the top post in Uttarakhand are Mr Dhami, BJP’s Secretary General of Uttarakhand Suresh Bhatt, Party MP Anil Baluni; MLAs Dhan Singh Rawat, Satpal Maharaj and Ritu Khanduri, and party MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
There is also tension over the summit post in Goa where a race is underway between Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane. Earlier this week, sources said Mr Sawant is likely to get a second term at the top post. The decision is likely to be made today before the BJP meets with the governor to claim forming a government.
Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath will be sworn in for his second term in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, the BJP said earlier last week. But nothing has been said about the size of his cabinet or the final names for various ministries.