DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Bhartiya Janta Party got state president on Thursday as a former cabinet minister and MLA from Kaladhungi assembly seat, Bansidhar Bhagat was elected for the post unopposed.
Five-time MLA Bhagat (68) holds long experience and the party hopes that he will be able to get the party through 2022 state assembly elections.
"My aim will be to strengthen the party and plan for 2022 assembly elections with help of the dedicated party workers and leaders of the party," said Bhagat after getting elected.
Incumbent state BJP president Ajay Bhatt has opted out of the race and has informed the party that he would like to work as a member of Parliament in his constituency, Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar.
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Union Human Resources Development Minister after Bhagat's unopposed election said, "I congratulate Bhagat ji and all BJP workers that we have got such a leader in Uttarakhand to lead us with his exceptional leadership skills."
Bhagat has been with the party since 1975 when it was known as the 'Janasangh'. He became the party member in the year 1980 when BJP came into existence.
Bhagat rose to prominence by raising farmers issues in Nainital district and was promoted to Nainital BJP president.
In 1991, he was elected as MLA for the first time in the undivided state of Uttar Pradesh. He was given the charge of state minister for forest and was later promoted to cabinet in the year 1993.
In 1996, he became a minister in UP government and cabinet minister 2000 when Uttarakhand state was formed after UP's bifurcation.
Bhagat was also given the post of a cabinet minister in the year 2007 when Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank became chief minister of Uttarakhand.
He won state assembly elections for the fifth time in the year 2017 when BJP swept the hill state with 57 seats out of 70 in Uttarakhand.