DEHRADUN: After the notification regarding vacating the Champawat assembly seat was issued by the Uttarakhand Assembly Secretariat on Friday, it is now confirmed that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will contest the byelection from here.
Assembly Secretary Mukesh Kumar Singhal said, "We have conveyed the information about the vacancy to the Election Commission as per procedures."
The notification comes after Bhartiya Janata Party MLA Kailash Gehtodi resigned on Wednesday to vacate the seat for the CM to contest the byelection.
In the 2022 state assembly elections, Dhami had lost from Khatima seat in Udham Singh Nagar district.
Meanwhile, state BJP president Madan Kaushik confirmed that the CM will contest the election from Champawat seat.
"The CM will contest the election from Champawat seat. We have started the preparations already," said Kaushik.
According to Article 164 (4) of the Representation of Peoples Act 1951, a minister (including the CM) who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of legislature of the state shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a minister.
Section 150 of the Act states that in case of a vacancy in the state legislative assembly, it is mandatory for the Election Commission to call upon the assembly constituency concerned to elect a person for the purpose of filling the vacancy.
Dhami who led the BJP to victory in 47 out of 70 seats in the state assembly securing majority for the party in the recently concluded elections was selected by the party to continue as the CM of Uttarakhand.
Last month, the party concluded that the CM lost the election due to internal sabotage.
The party had decided to 'introspect and analyse' the reasons behind the defeat in 23 state assembly constituencies in the hill state including Khatima seat from where the CM contested and lost.
Dhami visited Banbasa town of Champawat district on April 1 and while adressing a public meeting, he had said that he has a special place in his heart for the people of the district.
This was seen as a build-up for his plans to contest the byelection from Champawat assembly seat.
He also added, "The people of Champawat have showered their love on me and I am ready to serve them. As of now, the decision to contest the election from here is up to the seniors of the party and if they say so, I will follow suit."