DEHRADUN: After breaking Uttarakhand’s decades-old political jinx in 2022—becoming the first party to win back-to-back mandates since the state’s creation—the BJP under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has moved with renewed force, pushing landmark measures such as the Uniform Civil Code.

As the state turns toward the 2027 Assembly polls, Dhami speaks to Narendra Sethi about his development roadmap and the strategy behind the BJP’s bid for an unprecedented third term.

Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

As Uttarakhand completes 25 years of statehood, how do you assess your government’s contribution to this development journey?

Uttarakhand has completed 25 years. The people of this state have given the BJP the opportunity to serve for nearly 15 of those years. The 'real' development of the state has occurred during these 15 years. Revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee not only gave us a separate state but also provided a special industrial package early on. Following that, since 2014, the state has continuously received the blessings of Prime Minister Modi ji. The progress achieved over the last 11 years, driven by the cooperation of the Central Government, is visible to everyone. Currently, various projects worth over two lakh crore rupees are underway in Uttarakhand. Through these efforts, the state’s economy has expanded by 26 times, and the per capita income has grown 17-fold.

Uttarakhand’s economy has surged from ₹14,501 crore at statehood to a projected ₹3,78,240 crore in 2024–25, with per capita income rising from ₹15,285 to ₹2,74,064. With the UCC, strict anti-cheating and anti-conversion laws, the state’s governance model is now gaining national attention.

Your government has consistently performed strongly in local body elections. Do you anticipate this trend continuing in the 2027 Assembly polls?

Yes, not just local body elections, but the BJP has performed spectacularly in every election held since 2022, including the Lok Sabha elections, Panchayat polls, and Assembly by-elections. Our government’s performance and the strength of the BJP organization give us a clear edge in the electoral arena. The opposition lacks any substantive issues, nor is their organization capable enough. Therefore, we are unequivocally set to secure a clear majority in the 2027 elections.

Critics argue that recent legislation, particularly the UCC, infringes upon religious freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution. How do you respond to these allegations of constitutional overreach?

The government implements every law based squarely on its legislative authority. The people of this state granted the BJP a clear mandate in 2022 precisely to enable us to govern effectively. Therefore, how can any law passed by this Assembly be deemed unconstitutional? Has anyone in this state been prevented from conducting their personal religious or cultural activities as they wish? If not, how can the issue of violating religious freedom even arise?

Such claims are propagated only by a few rootless 'professional agitators' whose influence extends no further than social media, having no traction in the real world or among the general populace.