Dehradun: Putting an end to the political turmoil in the state, the Uttarakhand BHP Legislature party on Friday selected Pushkar Singh Dhami as the new chief minister of the state. Soon after the announcement, Dhami said with the new responsibility, he will turn the challenge of 2022 assembly polls into an opportunity.

“Yes of course it is a challenge but we will turn it into an opportunity,” he told reporters soon after meeting Governor Baby Rani Maurya to inform her about his election as the leader of the BJP’s legislature party.

Dhami, who will be sworn in on Sunday, takes over at a time when the state is going to the assembly polls early next year.

After the announcement, Dhami thanked the party’s central leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda for choosing a common party worker like him for the top job saying his party was the first in the country to do something like this.

He also expressed a sense of pride in the fact that India was distributing anti-Covid vaccines among other countries.

“This is the true spirit of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (the entire universe is family). This is the spirit behind the Prime Minister’s Mantra of Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas sab ka vishwas,” he said.

Asked whether there would be a cabinet reshuffle in the state, he said he would be able to say something on it only after he had done proper homework.

Talking about working for the unemployed youth, he said he will definitely make an effort to get them jobs.

Notably, the 45-year-old will be the youngest chief minister of the state and replaces Tirath Singh Rawat, who resigned on Friday night within four months of taking charge from Trivendra Singh Rawat.

“We’ll work on people’s issues with the cooperation of all. I will carry forward the work done by my predecessors,” Dhami, a two-time MLA from Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar district, said.

As Dhami takes over less than a year ahead of the next assembly elections, his biggest challenge lies in leading the BJP to another victory and retaining power in Uttarakhand, where the party has been plagued by factionalism.

Dhami’s name was proposed by outgoing chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat and Pradesh BJP president Madan Kaushik and seconded by a number of MLAs, including former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

(With inputs from PTI)