2nd terms for CMs in Uttarakhand, Goa | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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2nd terms for CMs in Uttarakhand, Goa

ByNeeraj Santoshi and Gerard D’Souza, Dehradun/panaji
Mar 22, 2022 01:45 AM IST

Dhami, who took over as the youngest CM of the hill state in July last year, was unanimously elected as the leader of BJP’s legislative party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday decided to continue with the sitting chief ministers of Uttarakhand and Goa by electing Pushkar Singh Dhami and Pramod Sawant as the leaders of the respective state’s legislative party, roughly 10 days after emerging victorious in assembly polls.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh with Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun on Monday. (ANI)
Defence minister Rajnath Singh with Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun on Monday. (ANI)

Dhami, who took over as the youngest CM of the hill state in July last year, was unanimously elected as the leader of BJP’s legislative party. He was chosen for his role in steadying the party’s ship after two CMs were changed in four months in 2021 and for leading the party to a clear majority. But his shock poll loss from Khatima constituency will mean that he will have to win a by-election to the state assembly within six months of taking oath.

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“I want to congratulate Dhami. In his short tenure, he has left a mark and BJP secured a historic victory in the elections. I am hopeful that under his leadership the state will witness holistic development in all spheres”, said Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, who was the central BJP observer.

In Goa, Sawant emerged as the winner after a two and a half hour meeting of the legislative party headed by central ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and L Murugan. The proposal for Sawant to be the legislative party chief was tabled by state minister Vishwajit Rane, who was also aggressively lobbying for the position but didn’t find enough support among party lawmakers. In the evening, Sawant formally staked claim to form the government with the support of 25 of the state’s 40 legislators – 20 from his party, two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, and three independents.

“I asked if there was any other name, and all the elected members said that they are supporting Pramod Sawant,” Tomar said.

With this, the party has officially named the chief ministers for three of the four states where it won assembly elections earlier this month, and has backed the incumbent in all of them. In Manipur, N Biren Singh took oath on Monday along with other ministers. A formal announcement is pending for Uttar Pradesh, where sitting CM Yogi Adityanath is set to return to the chair after becoming the first CM to retain power after finishing a full term.

In Dehradun, Dhami thanked all legislators, party workers and people, saying he will work to take ahead the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and develop Uttarakhand as an ideal state by 2025. He is likely to be sworn in on Wednesday.

“I want to assure the people of my state that I will dedicate every moment of my life to fulfil their hopes and aspirations and to take the state forward on the path of development. We will definitely achieve the goal given to us by PM Narendra Modi, to make the state the best state of the country by 2025,” Dhami said.

Dhami, 46, is credited for stabilising the government in the state, which saw two CMs shunted out between March and July 2021. His seven-month tenure was largely free of controversy, and his relatively low-key style of functioning kept dissidence in check within the party. Though the two-time MLA lost his election by 6,951 votes, several MLAs have said they’re willing to vacate their seat for him. He is also seen as having the backing of PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah, who showered praises on him during the campaign trail. Under him, the party won 47 of the state’s 70 seats, bucking the trend of the incumbent party losing assembly polls.

“He is a young leader, he has succeeded in clearing the mess after removal of two CMs and provided a stable government, his body language is humble, he has not stirred any controversy, he speaks in a very measured way and he has made a mark despite having very less time,” said MM Semwal, a political analyst.

In Goa, Sawant had a relatively stormy term, especially during the brutal second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, but managed to steer his party to an electoral victory despite a spirited Opposition challenge. The party won 20 of the state’s 40 seats, just one short of a majority and seven more than its 2017 tally.

“I want to thank the PM Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda and Amit Shah for reposing faith in me. I would also like to thank the voters of Goa for giving the BJP the opportunity to once again govern the state,” Sawant said.

“With the support of 25 MLAs we have submitted a letter to the governor. The governor has invited us to form the government. We will announce the date of the swearing in after some time. The PM and home minister Shah are likely to come for the ceremony,” he told reporters.

Sawant, who won his own election fromSanquelim by a slim margin of 666 votes, is an Ayurveda practitioner and rose through the ranks in the BJP after beginning his political career in the party’s youth wing.

His two and a half year term after he took over from former Union minister Manohar Parrikar was fraught. Several party lawmakers openly spoke out against the government -- first during the 2020 Covid lockdown and then during the devastating second wave that exposed a lack of coordination between Sawant and his health minister Vishwajit Rane. Allegations of corruption in government recruitment also marred his tenure. After the results were announced on March 10, Rane emerged as a challenger but his past association with the Congress – he was a MLA with the opposition party for two terms – may have weighed against him.

“Sawant’s primary challenge is to keep those within his government happy especially since he’s been chosen to lead a team that consists of several senior and battle-hardened politicians unafraid to take on someone they see as a relatively inexperienced politician chosen to lead the state,” political commentator and editor of a local daily, Kishor Naik Gaonkar, said.

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