Lok Sabha MP from Garhwal Tirath Singh Rawat took as the new chief minister of Uttarakhand on Wednesday evening.

Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya administered the oath of office and secretary to Rawat at the Raj Bhawan, said media reports.

After the resignation of Trivendra Singh Rawat as the chief minister, Rawat was elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party during a meeting in Dehradun.

Trivendra Singh Rawat submitted his resignation letter to Governor Baby Rani Maurya in Dehradun on March 9, 2021.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the new Uttarakhand chief minister and said Rawat brings with him vast administrative and organisational experience.

The meeting of the BJP Legislature Party was held under the supervision of central observers — former Chattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh and Rajya Sabha member Dushyant Gautam.

In 2013-2015, Tirath Singh Rawat was the Uttarakhand BJP president. He was a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council before the creation of Uttarakhand during 1997-2002.

He remained as MLA from 2012-2017 and previously served as the education minister in the state from 2000-2002.

It has been reported Tirath Singh Rawat was the ‘dark horse’ in the race for the post of chief minister.

He is considered as ‘very close’ to Union home minister Amit Shah.

“In 2017, he was prevented from getting a ticket by a camp led by his predecessor after which Shah appointed him national secretary in the BJP with the charge of handling party affairs in Himachal Pradesh. He is the kind of man who doesn’t have an entourage of staff and most often answers his own phone,” the report quoted a senior party leader as saying.

The report quoted sources as saying the new CM has been tasked by the party high command to roll back two unpopular decisions of the previous chief minister — the Chardham Devasthanam Management Board Act and the setting up of the Gairsain Commissionerate.