Governor Baby Rani Maurya administered the oath to Dhami, the two-time MLA from the Kumaon region (Khatima constituency) , who proposed his name for the office in a meeting held at the BJP headquarters on Saturday.
Dhami is taking over the top post ahead of the state assembly elections due next year.
BJP MLAs Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Bansidhar Bhagat, and Yashpal Arya also took oath as ministers in the new state cabinet.
Dhami has twice been the president of the BJP youth wing in the hill state as he served as the state chief of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha from 2002 to 2006. Dhami is considered close to Bhagat Singh Koshyari, a former chief minister and currently the Governor of Maharashtra and Goa.
The 45-year-old leader’s image has been that of an undisputed leader. However, it is not going to be easy for Dhami to carry out the role of CM in Uttarakhand, having to adjust with the senior MLAs as well as the bureaucracy. His lack of experience in heading a government may also prove to be a roadblock.
Sources have earlier told News18 that there would be no change in the state cabinet. They also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to senior ministers unhappy with Dhami’s election.
Sources in the party told News18 that Satpal Maharaj, Madan Kaushik, Subodh Uniyal, Harak Singh Rawat, Bishan Singh Chuphal and Yashpal Arya are among those who have expressed their reservations with Dhami to the party high command. Maharaj, Rawat, Bhagat and Arya were sworn-in as ministers in the cabinet today.
Wishes Pour In
Meanwhile, wishes poured in for Dhami from senior BJP leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
