Tirath Singh Rawat takes oath as new Uttarakhand CM

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tirath Singh Rawat was sworn-in as the chief minister of Uttarakhand on Wednesday, a day after his predecessor, Trivendra Singh Rawat, tendered his resignation from the post. Tirath Singh Rawat, Lok Sabha MP from Garhwal and a former state BJP chief, was administered oath of office by Governor Baby Rani Maurya at the Raj Bhavan.

The 56-year-old leader’s name was finalised in the meeting of the Uttarakhand BJP’s legislature party held in Dehradun on March 10 to decide Trivendra’s successor.

PM Modi also highlighted that Tirath Singh has vast administrative and organisational experience. “Congratulations to Shri @TIRATHSRAWAT on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He brings with him vast administrative and organisational experience. I am confident under his leadership the state will continue to scale new heights of progress,” PM Modi said in his tweet.

“I thank the Prime Minister, the home minister and party chief who trusted me who is a mere party worker who comes from a small village. I would have never imagined that I would reach here. We will make all efforts to meet people’s expectations and take forward work done in last four years,” said Tirath Singh Rawat after his name was announced by his predecessor.

Born in Sinro village of Pauri Garhwal district on April 9, 1964, Rawat has been president of HNB Garhwal University Students’ Union in 1990s, apart from being an RSS pracharak between 1983 and 1988. He has also been state vice president of Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and secretary Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad  (ABVP) students’ wing affiliated to the  Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Tirath Singh Rawat was the state BJP president from 2013-15 and is currently the party’s national secretary. He was also an MLA from the Chaubattakhal constituency from 2012-17.