By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 4 Jul: By marking his fifth anniversary as Uttarkhand’s Chief Minister on Saturday, Pushkar Singh Dhami secures a political milestone unprecedented in the State’s history. He has now become the longest-serving and first BJP Chief Minister to complete a full term in office. This is remarkable in a State that had become accustomed to frequent changes in leadership and political instability. In fact, the very continuity of his government has emerged as one of Dhami‘s defining moments.
When Dhami first took charge on July 4, 2021, Uttarakhand had witnessed two Chief Ministers within a period of four months. Leadership speculation had almost become a permanent feature of the state’s politics, with rumours of imminent change surfacing at regular intervals. Over the next five years, however, Dhami not only survived repeated political speculation but steadily consolidated his position within both the BJP organisation and the government. His accessible style of functioning, quick decision-making and ability to retain the confidence of the party’s Central leadership gradually transformed the political narrative from one of uncertainty to stability.
The BJP’s return to power in the 2022 Assembly elections further strengthened Dhami‘s authority despite his personal defeat from Khatima. The party leadership retained its faith in him and therefore he had to contest a byelection from Champawat. This by-election reinforced the perception that he had become the BJP’s principal political face in Uttarakhand.
The most serious administrative challenge of his second term came with the exposure of large-scale recruitment examination paper leak cases. The revelations triggered widespread protests among unemployed youth and raised serious concerns over the integrity of the State’s recruitment system. The government however responded strongly by launching an extensive crackdown on what it described as an organised examination mafia. A stringent anti-copying law was enacted, several accused persons were arrested, and recruitment examinations were conducted under a far more transparent mechanism. The government now is in a position to claim that more than 30,000 people have secured government employment through fair recruitment during the past three years. The CM now asserts that the confidence in public recruitment has been restored fully one of the administration’s most widely acknowledged achievements. Here it may also be pointed out that recruitment scams had also surfaced during the term of his predecessors like Harish Rawat and Trivendra Singh Rawat.
In addition, Dhami‘s tenure has also been marked by several politically and socially significant legislative initiatives. Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a move hailed by supporters as a landmark reform promoting legal uniformity and gender justice. Critics, however, questioned certain provisions and argued that the legislation carried political overtones. However, now many other BJP ruled states are also coming up with UCC. Similarly, the government enacted one of the country’s strictest anti-conversion laws and legislation empowering authorities to recover damages from those responsible for riots. While the critics have warned against possible misuse and their potential impact on social harmony, the supporters have viewed these measures as necessary to preserve social order and the state’s cultural and demographic identity. Independent observers also claim that Love Jihad and other forms of Jihad are such activities that need constant monitoring. One major decision taken recently is abolition of Madrasa Board and replacing it with Minorities Education Authority. Critics claim that Madrasas have been unduly targeted but the government counters this by claiming that uniformity of education is good for the state and for every community including the children from all the major recognised communities such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis. Another major move is to demolish illegal Mazars built on government lands across the state. This has also been criticised but the fact remains that in none of the mazars demolished so far, human remains have been found.
Infrastructure development has undoubtedly remained the most visible aspect of the Dhami government’s record. Work has gathered pace on the strategically significant Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Project and the Char Dham all-weather road network, while expansion of Jolly Grant and Pantnagar airports, improved helicopter connectivity and ropeway projects for Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib also promise to transform access to the Himalayan pilgrimage circuit. Although several of these projects had been conceived or initiated earlier and are being executed with substantial Central Government support, the Dhami government can be credited with pursuing them with the Centre and ensuring accelerated implementation. Some projects, announced recently however would need constant perseverance. They include Ropeway projects for Kedarnath, Mussoorie (this project has seen little progress on ground) and the elevated road projects for Dehradun.
The resulting growth in religious tourism has been remarkable. The Char Dham Yatra and Kanwar Yatra have consistently recorded unprecedented pilgrim numbers in recent years, generating substantial employment and business opportunities for transport operators, hotel owners, traders and thousands of families dependent upon the tourism economy. The economy of the state stands strengthened, with high growth in GSDP, significant rise in per capita income, a budget exceeding Rs 1 lakh crores,
The government has simultaneously attempted to diversify the state’s economic base through industrial investment and emerging sectors such as green hydrogen and renewable energy. Following the Global Investors Summit, the administration claims that investment proposals worth thousands of crores are gradually being translated into projects on the ground. While the government claims that MoUs worth over Rs 3 lakh crores of investment had been signed and are being implemented, but the independent assessments suggest that the pace of implementation continues to vary across sectors. Nevertheless, to bring huge investment to a small state with a very small land availability for the industry is significant achievement.
Women’s empowerment has remained another important area of focus. The government introduced 30 per cent horizontal reservation for women in government employment, strengthened self-help groups and promoted schemes intended to enhance rural women’s economic participation. These measures have received broad support across political lines.
Despite these achievements, Dhami‘s tenure has not been free from controversy. The Ankita Bhandari murder case remains perhaps the most politically sensitive episode of his government. Opposition parties, many social activists have accused the government of attempting to shield influential persons allegedly linked to the case, particularly during its initial stages. The government has consistently rejected these allegations, pointing out that the investigation culminated in the conviction of all three accused, who are now serving life imprisonment. The judicial outcome has certainly strengthened the government’s contention that justice has ultimately prevailed, but the questions surrounding the handling of the investigation continue to feature in political discourse.
Illegal mining has emerged as another persistent criticism of the administration. The Opposition parties have alleged that unlawful mining operations have flourished in several districts under official patronage. The government counters these allegations by highlighting record mining revenue collections, arguing that greater transparency, improved monitoring and stricter enforcement have substantially reduced illegal extraction. Independent observers, however, believe the reality lies somewhere between these competing narratives. Increased revenue can coexist with localised illegal operations, weak monitoring and continuing ecological harm. In short, while the state may have captured a larger share of mining value, oversight and strict compliance remain areas where the administration would certainly bolster credibility. Environmental sustainability remains another area where the government faces difficult questions. Large-scale infrastructure development has often invited criticism from the environmentalists concerned about ecological fragility in the Himalayan region. Recurring disasters, land subsidence, human-wildlife conflict and migration from remote hill villages continue to present structural challenges that no government has yet been able to comprehensively address.
On the political front, however, Dhami has succeeded in building an image that distinguishes him from many of his predecessors. He has largely remained insulated from personal allegations of regional or caste bias that frequently dominated Uttarakhand politics in earlier years. His relatively clean public image, measured public conduct and emphasis on administrative responsiveness have enabled him to maintain considerable political goodwill even among sections that may disagree with specific policies.
Five years after assuming office, Pushkar Singh Dhami‘s record reflects a government that has brought unusual political stability, pursued ambitious legislative reforms and accelerated infrastructure development while simultaneously facing searching questions over accountability, environmental governance and certain high-profile controversies. The balance sheet remains largely positive, but not unqualified. As Uttarakhand looks ahead, the lasting measure of Dhami‘s legacy will depend not only on the projects completed and laws enacted, but also on how effectively his government strengthens institutional transparency, addresses environmental concerns and sustains inclusive development alongside political stability. The Dhami Government is due to face its biggest test in form of upcoming assembly elections early next year.
