DEHRADUN:
Uttarakhand
CM Pushkar Singh
Dhami
seemed to be following in the footsteps of former CM
Trivendra
Singh Rawat when it came to picking the members of his cabinet.
Dhami did not include seniors such as Bansidhar Bhagat, Bishan Singh Chuphal, state chief Madan Kaushik and former education minister Arvind Pandey in his cabinet and also left three berths vacant. This was akin to Trivendra, who kept
Bhagat
and Chuphal out of his cabinet and left two berths vacant.
Other than the four seniors, a number of party MLAs including
Umesh Sharma Kau
, Munna Singh Chauhan, Khajan Das and Vinod Chamoli were being regarded as “strong contenders”.
However, some of these leaders are expected to be given a portfolio if the CM expands his cabinet. Interestingly, Trivendra never expanded his cabinet and after the demise of Prakash Pant, the number of vacant cabinet seats went up to three. It was only after he was removed and replaced by Tirath Singh Rawat that these three berths were filled. Sources said the CM may contest from Didihat, which is represented by Chuphal. They added that six-time
MLA Chuphal was likely to get a Rajya Sabha ticket so that Dhami could contest from Didihat.
Seven-time MLA Bansidhar Bhagat is presently the pro-tem speaker of Uttarakhand assembly but as he is 72, the “age factor” may have played a role in dropping him from the cabinet, said political analysts.Arvind Pandey is another minister who has been dropped. Saurabh Bahuguna, who is an MLA from Sitarganj, a constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district, has instead been inducted.
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