The BJP won in Uttarakhand by bagging 47 seats out of 70, but its chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lost by about 7,000 votes to the Congress’s Bhuwan Chand Kapri in Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar district.
However, Dhami addressed the media on Wednesday afternoon with the authority of a chief minister: “Soon after the formation of my government, I will form a committee to recommend the modalities of the Uniform Civil Code, which I had promised before the election.”
Union minister of parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi and the BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya were seated on either side of Dhami during the media meet at the party’s state headquarters in Dehradun.
“Whatever promises we have made would be fulfilled by my government,” Dhami added, while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “blessing Uttarakhand.”
The Congress won 19 seats and its chief ministerial candidate Harish Rawat lost to the BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht in Lalkuan of Nainital district by about 14,000 votes.
“I accept the defeat and take its responsibility in the capacity of chairman of the election campaign committee of the Congress in the state. All leaders of the party worked hard. We must have lacked somewhere and needs to review it soon,” Rawat told reporters at his residence in Dehradun.
It is believed that Rawat lost to Bisht because his vote was shared by Sandhya Dalakoti, whose name was announced first as the Congress candidate and then replaced by the former chief minister. She rebelled and contested as an independent.
Earlier, Rawat’s name was announced from Ramnagar seat but it was changed when Ranjit Rawat of the party protested.
Harish Rawat’s daughter Anupama Rawat won in Haridwar Rural against the BJP’s Swami Yatishwaranand by about 4,000 votes.
Trivendra Singh Rawat, who was replaced by Dhami as chief minister three months ago, said: “There was only Modi magic working in the elections.”
However, Pralhad Joshi said: “We have won under the leadership of Modi and Nadda. Pushkar Singh is our face of victory in the state.”
