Uttarakhand Cabinet Expansion: Big Changes Expected Soon in Dhami Government
The Dhami cabinet in Uttarakhand is all set for an expansion, which could happen anytime now. Currently, there are five vacant positions in the cabinet, creating opportunities for five MLAs to be inducted. Speculations suggest that this time, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami might go in with a full team of 11 ministers. As per the constitutional limit, the Uttarakhand cabinet can have up to 12 members, including the Chief Minister. In Dhami’s second term, the government initially had nine ministers, but three positions were left vacant from the start. Later, the demise of Chandan Ram Das increased the number of vacant seats to four. Now, with the resignation of Premchand Aggarwal, the count has reached five. Talking about regional representation, CM Dhami hails from Champawat, while other ministers include Ganesh Joshi from Dehradun, Satpal Maharaj and Dhan Singh Rawat from Pauri, Subodh Uniyal from Tehri, Rekha Arya from Almora, and Saurabh Bahuguna from Udham Singh Nagar. Additionally, Speaker Ritu Khanduri is from Pauri, and State BJP President Mahendra Bhatt represents Chamoli. However, districts like Uttarkashi, Haridwar, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, and Rudraprayag currently have no representation in the cabinet. Notably, Pauri district already has the highest representation.
With the cabinet reshuffle around the corner, discussions and speculations are in full swing regarding who will be included. The selection process will have to balance caste, regional, and organizational considerations. Some of the most talked-about names from Dehradun include Khajan Das, Vinod Chamoli, Umesh Sharma Kau, and Sahdev Pundir. Khajan Das is also being considered a strong contender for the post of state BJP president. Haridwar is also expected to get representation this time, with names like Madan Kaushik, Adesh Chauhan, and Pradeep Batra in the mix. Similarly, Bishan Singh Chufal from Pithoragarh is back in the spotlight, while Arvind Pandey and Shiv Arora from Udham Singh Nagar are also being considered. There are talks about making Ritu Khanduri Bhushan a minister while appointing a prominent face from Pauri as the new Speaker. Additionally, there are speculations that two current ministers—one from Garhwal and one from Kumaon—might be removed. This reshuffle is expected to bring in fresh faces and young leaders, shaping a new team for the Dhami government.
