Rawat to be sworn in as Uttarakhand CM today
new delhi — Former state BJP chief Trivendra Singh Rawat will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on Saturday. Rawat was on Friday formally elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party in the state.
“Trivendra Singh Rawat was elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party. His name was proposed by Satpal Maharaj and Prakash Pant. The proposal was accepted unanimously,” Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the media here.
Rawat, an organisational man of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttarakhand and party in-charge in Jharkhand, won his traditional Doiwala seat by defeating Congress’ Hira Singh Bisht by over 24,000 votes.
Rawat, a Swayamsewak of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), is considered close to BJP President Amit Shah.
A former associate of now Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rawat was the Agriculture Minister in the previous BJP government in Uttarakhand, which was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.
During the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Rawat was attached with Amit Shah in Uttar Pradesh where the BJP swept all but seven seats. He is also credited with the BJP’s win in Jharkhand. Uttarakhand BJP chief Ajay Bhatt has said the oath taking event has been fixed for 3pm on Saturday.
All the 57 newly elected legislators of the BJP have been asked to come to the state capital.
The BJP has swept back to power in the hill state after five years, that too with a landslide majority.
Modi and Amit Shah along with select central ministers and senior BJP leaders are likely to be present at the oath taking.
Security arrangements are being made at the Parade Grounds, keeping in mind the VVIPs who will attend, an official said.
Besides Rawat, Satpal Maharaj and Prakash Pant were in the race for the chief minister’s post. —