New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Pushkar Singh Dhami who took oath as the eleventh Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on Sunday, a day after being elected as the leader of the state's BJP legislature party. "Best wishes to this team as they work towards the progress and prosperity of Uttarakhand," the Prime Minister tweeted.
Mr Dhami, 45, is the youngest chief minister of the state and replaces Tirath Singh Rawat, who resigned on Friday night within four months of taking charge from Trivendra Singh Rawat.
"We'll work on people's issues with the cooperation of all. I will carry forward the work done by my predecessors," the two-time MLA from Khatima in the hill state's Kumaon region said after being named the Chief Minister, third in four months.
Mr Dhami takes over less than a year ahead of the next assembly elections in the state and the biggest challenge for him lies in leading the BJP to another victory and retaining power in Uttarakhand. "We accept the challenge and we will take forward the party and serve the people," he said.
The BJP had replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat with Tirath Singh Rawat in March, hoping to go into the assembly polls with the new face, but he too was asked to step down as the Constitution required him to get elected as a member of the state assembly within six months of his appointment as the Chief Minister and holding a bye-poll amid the pandemic seemed a distant possibility.