DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said he sees 'no competition' with former chief ministers of the state, including ND Tiwari, and credited all his predecessors for guiding him.
Addressing a gathering during a programme in Rishikesh, Dhami said, "Every former CM of Uttarakhand was more experienced than him when they took office."
“All the former CMs were senior to me in experience and age, and I have learnt a lot from them,” Dhami said.
“There is no question of any competition,” he said.
The remarks came amid talk in political circles that Dhami is set to surpass the tenure record of veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari, who served as Uttarakhand CM for the longest period so far.
Dhami, however, downplayed the comparisons.
“A few people are saying that I am going to break former CM ND Tiwari’s record. But I have learnt a lot from ND Tiwari ji,” he said.
“When ND Tiwari became chief minister of Uttarakhand, he had the experience of his entire life behind him. But when I became CM, I was a novice. So there is no question of competition.”
Dhami acknowledged all former CMs of the state, saying, “From Nityanand Swami to all who followed, each contributed to Uttarakhand’s progress. I have learnt a lot from them.”
The chief minister’s comments reflect an attempt to strike a conciliatory tone at a time when the BJP government is marking five years of his leadership.
Dhami took over in March 2021 and is now the state’s longest-serving BJP chief minister. Political observers note that Tiwari’s record from 2002 to 2007 has long been seen as a benchmark in the hill state.