Uttarakhand Cabinet Expanded, Five New Ministers Sworn In Under Dhami Leadership

Dehradun, March 20 (TNA) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s cabinet underwent an expansion on Friday as Governor Gurmit Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to five new ministers at a ceremony held at Lok Bhawan at 10 AM, raising the total strength to 12 members.

The newly inducted ministers are Madan Kaushik (Haridwar), Bharat Chaudhary (Rudraprayag), Pradeep Batra (Roorkee), Khajan Dass (Rajpur), and Ram Singh Kaida (Bhimtal), selected to rebalance regional and caste representation just three days before the BJP government marks four years in office.

This strategic move, filling three long-vacant berths since 2022, is viewed by political observers as a calculated effort by the ruling BJP to consolidate its electoral base ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, addressing aspirations in key regions like Garhwal and Kumaon.

The expansion aligns with ongoing performance reviews of MLAs during Chaitra Navratri, signalling heightened political activity in the hill state. Chief Minister Dhami congratulated the new ministers, emphasising continued focus on development and governance.