A Brahmin leader from Garhwal hills can be made the chief of the state unit
Wednesday, 23 March 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
After reposing faith in Pushkar Singh Dhami for the position of chief minister of Uttarakhand for the second time, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party can affect a change in its organisation by replacing its president of Uttarakhand unit. Incumbent BJP president of Uttarakhand Madan Kaushik was a cabinet minister in the Trivendra Singh Rawat cabinet but when he was removed and Tirath Singh Rawat was appointed CM, Kaushik was brought into the organisation as the State president. In the recently held elections Kaushik won for the fifth consecutive time from his strong-hold of Haridwar city constituency. This time he is expected to be inducted in the cabinet or given some other assignment by the party. In this case the BJP would have to appoint a new leader as president of the state unit. Since Dhami is a Rajput from Kumaon region the BJP can appoint some Brahmin from Garhwal region as party president to balance caste and regional equations. The name of former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is being taken in some quarters as the possible choice for state president. Apart from him the names of Dharampur MLA Vinod Chamoli, former MLA from Badrinath Mahendra Bhatt and JP Gairola are also being taken for the post of the party’s State president. Chamoli has won from Dharampur for the second consecutive time and he was also the mayor of Dehradun for two terms. Mahendra Bhatt who comes from the border district of Chamoli is also a strong contender to replace Kaushik. Gairola too has held many posts in the party organisation and is currently a vice president of BJP in Uttarakhand.
