CM Dhami calls on ex-CM Koshyari for Diwali greetings
Synopsis
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited former CM and ex-Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at his Defence Colony home on Diwali 2026, in a customary festival courtesy call reflecting BJP's tradition of honouring veteran leaders.
Key Takeaways
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Bhagat Singh Koshyari at his Defence Colony, Delhi residence on November 6, 2026 .
The visit was to extend Diwali greetings to the former Chief Minister and former Governor.
Bhagat Singh Koshyari served as Uttarakhand's Chief Minister from 2001 to 2002 and later as Governor of Maharashtra .
He is a senior BJP leader from the Kumaon region with deep roots in the state's statehood movement era.
The visit is a customary festival courtesy call with no policy or political announcements attached.
In a gesture that speaks to the deep personal and political bonds within Uttarakhand's BJP, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami travelled to Defence Colony, Delhi, on Friday, November 6, 2026, to personally call on former Chief Minister and former Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari at his residence and extend warm Diwali wishes.
The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand shared the visit on X, noting that CM Dhami met with the veteran leader at his Defence Colony home and offered 'Deepavali ke pavan parv ki hardik shubhkamnayein' — heartfelt greetings on the auspicious occasion of Diwali.
Koshyari's place in Uttarakhand's political memory
Bhagat Singh Koshyari is one of the most recognisable faces in Uttarakhand's post-statehood political history. He served as the state's Chief Minister from 2001 to 2002, in the early years following Uttarakhand's creation, and later went on to serve as Governor of Maharashtra — a role that kept him in the national political conversation. A senior BJP figure from the Kumaon region, Koshyari remains a respected elder in the party's Uttarakhand network.
A Diwali tradition rooted in politics and protocol
Festival visits to veteran leaders are a firmly established ritual in Indian political culture, particularly within the BJP. Incumbent chief ministers use Diwali as an occasion to demonstrate continuity, deference, and solidarity with senior figures who shaped the party's regional identity. For CM Dhami, who has led Uttarakhand since 2021, the visit to Koshyari — a predecessor who helped build the state's early governance architecture — carries that symbolic weight.
No policy discussions or political announcements are associated with the visit. It is, by its nature, a courteous personal call — the kind that keeps networks warm and hierarchies intact ahead of a major festival.
Point of View
Who is relatively young in his tenure, such gestures to figures like Koshyari — who embodies the party's Uttarakhand founding generation — serve as visible affirmations of the generational compact within the organisation. It carries little immediate policy weight, but politically, maintaining visible bonds with elders in a state where factionalism has historically been a risk is quietly strategic.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did CM Dhami visit Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Diwali 2026?
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari at his Defence Colony residence in Delhi to personally extend Diwali greetings, in keeping with the tradition of paying respects to senior leaders during major festivals.
Who is Bhagat Singh Koshyari?
Bhagat Singh Koshyari is a senior BJP leader from Uttarakhand's Kumaon region who served as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2001 to 2002 and later as Governor of Maharashtra.
Where does Bhagat Singh Koshyari live?
Bhagat Singh Koshyari resides at a home in Defence Colony, Delhi, where CM Dhami visited him during the Diwali festival.
How long has Pushkar Singh Dhami been Chief Minister of Uttarakhand?
Pushkar Singh Dhami has been Chief Minister of Uttarakhand since 2021 and represents the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Is there a political significance to Dhami visiting Koshyari?
While the visit is officially a Diwali courtesy call, it reflects the BJP tradition of incumbent leaders honouring veteran party figures during festivals to reinforce internal solidarity and party cohesion.
