States » NorthPosted at: Oct 4 2026 7:15PM


Uttarakhand: BJP springs surprise, nominates CM Dhami's former PRO as RS candidate

By Prithviraj Singh
Dehradun, Oct 4 (UNI) BJP's central leadership pulled a big surprise for its rank and file in Uttarakhand by picking Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's former PRO and lesser-known dalit face Dinesh Arya as Rajya Sabha candidate from the state.
According to the Election Commission of India notification, polling for the state's lone Rajya Sabha seat will take place on October 16 to replace sitting member Naresh Bansal, who will retire on November 25 along with 10 others from Uttar Pradesh.
A day after the party concluded its series of state-level organisational meetings with newly appointed state in-charge Ram Madhav, its national leadership surprised the rank and file by announcing the name of the Rajya Sabha nominee this afternoon.
Interestingly, even senior BJP leaders in Dehradun were taken aback with central leadership's decision, as no political pundit or politician in the state had any inkling of Arya's name was under consideration for the Rajya Sabha poll candidature.
"Arya, a close aide of Dhami, had a very low-profile in the organisation. His highest rise in the politics of Uttarakhand was as president of Nainital District unit of the party. He also served as PRO of CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in 2022. Currently, he has a minister of state rank responsibility in the Water Resources department of Uttarakhand. It was indeed a big surprise for all of us, for there were other big names in the panel sent by the state leadership," said a senior BJP state organisation secretary in Dehradun.

Apart from being former Nainital District president of the party, Arya was also a contender for Nainital assembly seat in 2022 state elections. However he was denied ticket by the party, and instead, sitting BJP MLA Sarita Bisht was made nominee in 2022 assembly elections.

Interestingly Arya's nomination is being hailed by the state leaders as he is a dalit leader of the party representing Haldwani in Nainital, where 'purification ritual' controversy erupted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a rally in August. Kharge later raised the matter in monsoon session of the parliament, claiming BJP workers held a purification ritual at Haldwani ground after his rally for he being a dalit.
Arya, who is set to register easy win for BJP with its more than two-thirds strength in the state assembly, will replace sitting Rajya Sabha member Naresh Bansal.
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Tags: #Uttarakhand: BJP springs surprise# nominates CM Dhami's former PRO as RS candidate
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