PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to appoint a new State president for Uttarakhand by July 1. In view of appointing a new party president, the BJP’s central leadership appointed Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra as the State election officer for the election of BJP’s State president and national council members in Uttarakhand on Friday.
According to sources, discussions at the party’s high command in Delhi have intensified over the past few days with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and other senior party members. It is being speculated that the party will finalise a new State president by July 1 or within the first week of July. Political experts believe that in Uttarakhand, the ruling party typically ensures a balance between regional and caste equations when appointing the CM and the State party president. Since Dhami hails from the Kumaon region and belongs to the Thakur community, there is a strong possibility that the new State president will be a Brahmin leader from the Garhwal region.
The BJP appointed Bhatt following the similar pattern. Experts opined that while there is a chance that he might be retained, recent political developments suggest that the party may opt for a new face. Sources within the BJP also indicate that among the potential contenders from the Garhwal, Aditya Kothari, Vinod Chamoli and Jyoti Prasad Gairola are strong candidates due to their organisational experience and influence within the party. Besides this, Madan Kaushik is also being considered as per them. However, some believe that Kaushik’s association with the former CM Trivendra Rawat faction could slightly weaken his position in the race.
Another emerging possibility is that the BJP may appoint a woman as the State president for the first time in Uttarakhand. With a growing emphasis on gender representation in politics, the party may take this opportunity to strengthen its appeal among women voters. If this happens, the most prominent names in the race are Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal and Deepti Rawat Bhardwaj, both of whom belong to the Brahmin community and are influential leaders from the Garhwal region.
Many BJP members also strongly believe that Bhatt will be re-elected again as the State president of BJP. Political experts believe that the selection of the new State president will play a crucial role in shaping the party’s strategy ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections and further consolidating its position in Uttarakhand’s political setting.
