Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami May Contest Champawat Bypoll, Say Sources

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is likely to contest the by-poll for the Champawat assembly seat, as per the sources.

According to sources, the top BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leadership has given its nod to the plan.

After losing the assembly polls from Khatima, Pushkar Dhami needs to be a legislator within six months of taking oath as the Chief Minister. The current MLA of Champawat, Kailash Gahtodi, is likely to resign the post soon, said sources.

Earlier also, Gahtodi had proposed to vacate his seat for Dhami. BJP state media in-charge Manveer Chauhan had said, Kaptok MLA Suresh Gadiya and four other BJP MLAs also had offered to give up their seats for Dhami.

TheBJP created history in the Uttarakhand state by retaining power as every other previous government was not retained in the past. It won about 47 seats in the 70-member assembly.

Pushkar Dhami was first sworn in as the chief minister last July. As a former president of the BJP youth wing, Dhami had cordial relations with the young cadre. The BJP party believes that Dhami helped to a certain extent in checking anti-incumbency.