Uttarakhand Cabinet expanded; five new ministers sworn in

Dehradun, March 20 (IANS) The Uttarakhand Cabinet led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was expanded on Friday with the induction of five new ministers. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Lok Bhavan, where Governor Gurmit Singh administered the oath of office.

The new ministers include BJP MLAs Khajan Das from Rajpur Road Assembly constituency, Madan Kaushik from Haridwar, Pradeep Batra from Roorkee, Bharat Chaudhary from Rudraprayag, and Ram Singh Kaira from Bhimtal.

The cabinet expansion comes after months of speculation, as five ministerial posts had remained vacant in the state government. With this move, the Dhami government has moved closer to reaching the constitutionally permitted strength of 12 ministers in the state cabinet.

When the BJP formed its second government in Uttarakhand in 2022, Dhami had taken oath along with eight ministers. However, the cabinet's strength reduced over time due to unforeseen developments. It came down to eight following the demise of Social Welfare and Transport Minister Chandan Ramdas in April 2023. Later, the number dropped to seven after the resignation of Prem Chand Agarwal, who held the Finance and Parliamentary Affairs portfolios, last year.

Over the past four years, discussions regarding cabinet expansion had surfaced multiple times, but no decision was finalised until now. The latest reshuffle is being viewed as a significant political development ahead of the next Assembly elections in the state.

Party leaders had earlier indicated that consultations were underway with the central leadership regarding the expansion. Uttarakhand BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan had stated that the process was part of routine governance and required coordination with the party’s top leadership.

He had also emphasised that the Dhami government remains committed to development, public welfare, and good governance. According to him, deliberations with the party's central leadership had paved the way for filling the vacant posts.

The induction of new ministers is expected to strengthen the functioning of the state government and enhance administrative efficiency as Uttarakhand prepares for upcoming political challenges ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

--IANS

jk/dpb