Dehradun, March 20 – The Uttarakhand government, led by Pushkar Singh Dhami, expanded its cabinet on Friday, inducting five new MLAs as ministers, reflecting a mix of experienced and young faces.
The oath of office was administered to the newly inducted cabinet members by Uttarakhand Governor Gurmit Singh.
Those who were elevated to cabinet minister positions included Mandan Kaushik (Haridwar), Khajan Dass (Dehradun), Pradeep Batra (Roorkee), Ram Singh Kaira (Bhimtal), and Bharat Singh Chaudhary (Rudraprayag).
Madan Kaushik
Madan Kaushik is a veteran party leader with decades of experience in public service. He has held various senior positions within the party. He was previously the president of the Uttarakhand BJP and is currently a member of the party's National Executive Council. In a previous role, he also served as a cabinet minister in the Uttarakhand government.
He began his political career in student politics and rose to become a cabinet minister in the Uttarakhand government.
He started his political career in 1985, becoming the president of his college, and was appointed as the BJP District General Secretary in 2000. Two years later, he was elected to represent the Haridwar constituency. He has since won the Haridwar seat in four subsequent elections.
With consecutive victories in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022, Madan Kaushik has a strong record of winning elections.
Speaking to the media after being appointed as a cabinet minister, he said, "I am a party worker. I will do everything that is assigned to me. I have always strived to fulfill whatever role has been given to me, whether by the party or by the government."
He also shared the government's ambitious plan to organize a mega Kumbh Mela in the state.
Khajan Dass
Khajan Dass, elected from the Rajpur Road constituency in Dehradun, is known for his "principled politics" and has earned a reputation for speaking frankly, even when addressing issues related to his own BJP government.
Dass belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and has, over the years, not only emerged as a key figure in the community but also built a reputation through his consistent efforts in public service. He gained attention when he publicly criticized his own government over the slow progress of the "Dehradun as smart city" project.
Pradeep Batra
Pradeep Batra, the legislator from the Roorkee constituency, is a new entrant in the Dhami cabinet. He has previously served as a three-time MLA from Roorkee, winning twice on a Congress ticket in 2012 and 2017, and once as a BJP candidate in 2022.
Having switched from the Congress in 2022, Pradeep Batra was elected from the same constituency on the BJP ticket. This is his first stint in the Council of Ministers.
Batra, a native of Uttarakhand, also studied at Roorkee Degree College and runs a family business that includes hotels and commercial ventures.
The remaining two ministers are Ram Singh Kaira, an MLA from the Bhimtal constituency, and Bharat Singh Chaudhary, MLA from the Rudraprayag seat. Both are beginning their first stint as cabinet ministers in the Dhami government.
Kaira first won the Bhimtal seat in 2017 as an Independent candidate and later joined the BJP in October 2021.
The expansion of the Dhami cabinet, which had been long overdue, is seen as a move by the ruling party to prepare for the upcoming 2027 Assembly elections. Political observers believe this is a step to address regional and caste equations, which are considered crucial for the state's electoral landscape.