Uttarakhand Politics Heats Up! Dhami’s Cabinet Expansion May Include These Key Leaders

Pushkar Singh Dhami Cabinet Expansion: Who’s In the Race for a Ministerial Berth?

The Dhami cabinet in Uttarakhand might expand anytime soon. After the resignation of Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Premchand Aggarwal, five seats in the cabinet are now vacant. For now, all his departments are under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, making the expansion inevitable. To finalize the new ministers, Dhami is expected to sit down with the party high command and state leadership soon. Meanwhile, several names are already making rounds in political circles. Among them, at least a dozen MLAs are considered strong contenders. The most talked-about names are those who previously held ministerial positions but were left out this time. Dhami might give them another chance, especially since he needs experienced ministers to handle crucial portfolios like parliamentary affairs. One of the strongest contenders is Haridwar MLA Madan Kaushik. After serving as the state BJP president, he returned as an MLA but missed out on a cabinet berth. Since Haridwar has no representation in the current cabinet, his chances are quite high this time.

From Dehradun, Khajan Das is a name gaining traction, particularly as a prominent SC leader. However, he is also being considered for the state BJP president’s post. Another potential candidate is Banshidhar Bhagat from Nainital, who has previously handled important portfolios like Urban Development. Given that Nainital currently has no representation in the cabinet, his inclusion is a possibility. Arvind Pandey, who has previously managed key ministries like education and sports, is also being discussed. He hails from Udham Singh Nagar, where Saurabh Bahuguna is already handling key portfolios like animal husbandry and skill development. Bahuguna is among the most efficient ministers in the current cabinet. From Pithoragarh, Bishan Singh Chufal is among the most senior MLAs and a former minister, making him a strong contender. Since Pithoragarh has no representation in the current cabinet, his chances look good. Apart from former ministers, senior MLAs like Vinod Chamoli, Munna Chauhan, Umesh Sharma Kau, Sahdev Pundir, Adesh Chauhan, Pradeep Batra, and Dilip Rawat are also being discussed. However, the final selections will depend on caste and regional balance.