PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to appoint a new State president for Uttarakhand within the next 24 to 48 hours. According to sources, discussions at the party’s high command in Delhi have intensified over the past two days, with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and current BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt holding multiple rounds of meetings.
It is being speculated that the party will finalise a new State president before the upcoming cabinet expansion in the State. 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 this pattern, as done in the past too. 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, 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 party insiders. Many believe that his chances have increased after the recent resignation of senior leader Prem Chand Aggarwal. However, some believe that Kaushik’s association with the former CM Trivendra Singh 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. 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 landscape.
