Next Story
Newszop

First time in 25 years, Mahendra Bhatt re-elected president of Uttarakhand BJP

Send Push
Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt was re-elected on Tuesday as the president of the Uttarakhand BJP, becoming the only party chief in the state to get a successive term in 25 years.

His re-election was formally announced by the party's central observer Harsh Malhotra in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and senior party leaders, including in-charge of state unit Dushyant Gautam.

Bhatt, the two-time MLA, thanked the central leadership for reposing faith in him and said he would continue to work for strengthening the party in the state.


"I am grateful to all our central leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda, and also to the chief minister for entrusting an ordinary party worker like me with the responsibility for another term," he said.


Crediting Dhami's able leadership for the sweeping electoral victories the BJP saw in the state (in 2022 assembly polls and 2024 Lok Sabha polls), Bhatt expressed confidence that the party will come out with flying colours in both the coming panchayat elections and the 2027 assembly polls.

"I am sure we are heading for a hat-trick victory in Uttarakhand in 2027," he said.

This is the first time since the creation of Uttarakhand in 2000 that a BJP state unit president has been re-elected for a second consecutive term. Bhatt's re-election was a foregone conclusion as he was the only candidate to file nomination for the post.

He first took over as Uttarakhand BJP chief in 2022, succeeding Madan Kaushik.

Bhatt was associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and Uttarakhand's agitation for statehood. He was incarcerated twice in the course of the two movements.

Bhatt began his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in early 1990s.

He became the BJP Yuva Morcha's state president in 2000 and remained in that post till 2002.

He won his first assembly election in 2002 from Nandprayag and represented that constituency in the state assembly till 2007. In 2017, he became an MLA again, this time from Badrinath seat.

Bhatt has been the Rajya Sabha member since April 2024.
Loving Newspoint? Download the app now