By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 15 Mar: BJP President JP Nadda today met senior BJP leaders from Uttarakhand including the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj. As per sources, informal discussions were held between Nadda and the party leaders from Uttarakhand. Others who were present at the meeting also included Cabinet Ministers Arvind Pandey and Ganesh Joshi, BJP President Madan Kaushik and Yatishwaranand. After this meeting, CM Dhami is reported to have stated that he came to participate in the party meetings held in Delhi with leaders from every state where the elections were held. He also stated that the decision on the next CM rested on the Party High Command.
Later, Dhami also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed with him the formation of the new government. Details of the meeting were not immediately available. He had earlier also met Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni in the day and stayed with him for over 40 minutes.
It is believed that a decision on who will be the CM might already have been finalised by the party high command but the decisions will be conveyed at the appropriate time to all concerned. Several BJP leaders have been summoned to Delhi in this regard.
According to IANS, sources said that a meeting was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence late on Monday night. It is learnt that Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Nadda and state election in-charge Pralhad Joshi were present in the meeting.
Sources claimed that Dhami and other Uttarakhand BJP leaders are also likely to meet central observers Rajnath Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi and other central leaders.
Uncertainty is still prevailing over the next Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after incumbent Dhami lost the assembly polls. Days after declaration of results, the BJP is still trying to find a suitable formula to select the new Chief Minister of the hill state.
“Clarity will emerge over the new Chief Minister after a series of meetings today and swearing in of the Chief Minister will take place soon after election of the new leader of the legislative party,” a party insider said.
There are different opinions within the BJP over giving Dhami another chance. While some support a second chance for him, many are saying it will set a wrong precedent which the party has always opposed. “Apart from Dhami’s fate, there are other issues like caste and region to be addressed before finalising the name of the new Chief Minister. The party leadership has to take a call on whether the new Chief Minister will be from Garhwal or Kumaon and also whether he or she will be Thakur or Brahmin,” a party insider said.
