Pushkar Singh Dhami to take oath as Uttarakhand Chief Minister on Sunday

Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was on Saturday elected as the new leader of BJP legislature party in Uttarakhand, will take oath as new chief minister of Uttarakhand on Sunday.

BJP leader and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who was the observer for the meeting of BJP legislators, said they had apprised the state Governor Baby Rani Maurya of the party's decision. Assembly polls are due in Uttarakhand early next year.

"During the legislature party meeting, it was decided to appoint Pushkar Dhami as Uttarakhand BJP legislature party leader. We went to the Governor to discuss the party's decision. The oath-taking ceremony is to be held tomorrow," Tomar told ANI.

Dhami will be the 11th Chief Minister of the hill state and will replace Tirath Singh Rawat who resigned on Friday.

Dhami represents the Khatima constituency in the Udham Singh Nagar district. He will be the third chief minister of the state in nearly four months.

Speaking to reporters after he was elected as BJP's new legislative party leader in the state, Dhami said a "common party worker has been given a chance to serve the state".

"I am thankful to the party's high command," he said.

Rawat, Lok Sabha MP from Garhwal, took over as the Chief Minister on March 10 this year. He had to be elected to the state assembly within six months since he was not an MLA and there was uncertainty over bypolls being held in the state since assembly elections are due in less than a year.

Former Uttarakhand minister and Congress leader Navprabhat had earlier this week written to the Election Commission urging it to "clear the confusion" in the state regarding by-polls.

The Congress leader quoted Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which mandates that the Election Commission fill the casual vacancies in state legislatures through bye-elections within six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy, provided that the remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is one year or more.

( With inputs from ANI )