Ahead of the state assembly elections, the Dhami government on Friday filled long-vacant positions in the Uttarakhand cabinet, bringing an end to months of speculation within political circles. At a ceremony held at Lok Bhawan, the Governor administered the oath of office and secrecy to BJP MLAs Khajan Das, Ram Singh Kaida, Pradeep Batra, Madan Kaushik and Bharat Chaudhary. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Governor congratulated the newly inducted ministers. The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan.

With this cabinet expansion, representation has been extended to Dehradun, Nainital, Haridwar and Rudraprayag districts. The move is being seen as an attempt to strike a regional balance, particularly by accommodating districts that earlier had no representation in the cabinet. The decision is also viewed as part of the BJP’s broader electoral strategy to strengthen its position ahead of the polls.

For a long time, the Dhami cabinet had five vacant berths. At the time of government formation in March 2022, three ministerial posts were deliberately kept vacant as part of a planned political strategy. Subsequently, the number of vacancies increased following the death of Cabinet Minister Chandan Ram Dass in April 2023 and the resignation of Premchand on March 17, 2025. After the cabinet expansion on Friday, March 20, efforts appear to have been made to address regional imbalances and give representation to previously unrepresented areas. Political observers believe this step is aimed at consolidating support across regions ahead of the elections.

Prior to the expansion, the Dhami cabinet comprised Satpal Maharaj, Dhan Singh Rawat, Subodh Uniyal, Ganesh Joshi, Rekha Arya and Saurabh Bahuguna. With the induction of five new ministers, the total strength of the cabinet has now risen to 11.

Notably, the cabinet expansion has also put to rest several rumours and speculations that had been circulating both within the BJP and in political corridors outside the party. The delay in cabinet expansion had fuelled widespread conjecture, though Chief Minister Dhami had consistently dismissed such talks, describing them in a light-hearted manner as mere “shigufa” (rumours).

Sources said that after the Gairsain assembly session, the Chief Minister undertook extensive groundwork on cabinet expansion and the allocation of responsibilities. During this period, several MLAs met the Chief Minister, adding to the political buzz and anticipation surrounding the long-awaited cabinet reshuffle.

Disclaimer: This news is written on the basis of information received from different authentic sources.