The highly anticipated expansion of the cabinet in Uttarakhand under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, is set to be expected in the second week of November, when the results of the Bihar Assembly elections are announced. Political sources indicate that the state government is also ready to replace the unfilled ministerial posts that have been vacant for a few months.
The Dhami government also has some ministerial berths that are presently vacant, and the speculation of expansion of the cabinet has been going on for weeks now. Nevertheless, the incumbent BJP is said to be awaiting the Bihar election result as a number of organizational and political considerations are being made at the centre stage.
The party figures in the party have indicated that the expansion process may commence once the Election Commission withdraws the Model Code of Conduct that is in force at present (leading to the Bihar polls). After the outcome is announced and the political environment is stable, the high command of the party is most likely to approve the green light on the reshuffle in Uttarakhand.
The sources in the BJP have said that it is intended to expand to bring about a balance of the region and social representation. Leaders of the Kumaon and Garhwal region, leaders of marginalized and tribal groups, can also be accommodated in the new cabinet. It is also likely to solidify the party in the grassroots ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, as well as continue to keep the state unit in harmony.
However, now Chief Minister Dhami is the leader of a team of ministers who manage such important portfolios as finance, health, education, and infrastructure. Nevertheless, certain key departments are under extra charge because of unfilled positions. The growth will also introduce new faces that will share the administrative roles and speed up the development projects.
According to the political analysts, the direction of the expansion is based on how the BJP orchestrates the state and national politics. Because the political performance of Bihar will affect the overall organizational decision-making, the central leadership would rather make the decision to reshape the cabinet of Uttarakhand later so that the appointments and allies remain the same.
In the meantime, there has been escalated lobbying by party workers and MLAs over the cabinet posts, with some names of senior and young leaders going around in the political circles.
By the end of November, according to the sources, the Dhami cabinet expansion may be completed as the political conditions will become favourable, in other words, after the Bihar election outcomes. The reshuffle is likely to introduce a new balance of experience and a new energy in the Uttarakhand government.
