CM Dhami eyes BJP hat-trick in Uttarakhand polls
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
With assembly elections on the horizon, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has publicly declared his confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will secure a third consecutive victory in the state — a feat he is calling a 'hat-trick.' The declaration, posted on X on Saturday, 7 November 2026, frames the coming contest as a mandate on governance delivered under central guidance.
In his post, Dhami wrote: 'Aadarneey Pradhanmantri Shri Narendra Modi ji ke margdarshan evam Kendra Sarkar ke nirantar sahyog se hamari sarkar ne pradesh mein anek aitihasik nirnay liye hain aur kai abhootpoorv karya kiye hain.' ('Under the guidance of the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the continuous support of the Central Government, our government has taken many historic decisions and carried out several unprecedented works in the state.')
He added that he was fully confident the people of Devbhoomi — the spiritual epithet for Uttarakhand — would continue to give their blessings and trust, and that the BJP would 'score a hat-trick of victories in the upcoming assembly election.'
Two wins in a row: the record Dhami is building on
The BJP first came to power in Uttarakhand in the 2017 assembly elections, ending a Congress term. The party then held on in the 2022 elections under Dhami's leadership, making it two straight mandates. A third win would be historically significant in a state that has frequently alternated between parties.
Dhami has been Chief Minister since 2021, navigating mid-term leadership turbulence before steering the party to its second consecutive majority. His positioning of central government backing as a cornerstone of state achievement is a familiar BJP playbook — but in Uttarakhand, it carries particular electoral weight given the state's heavy reliance on centrally-funded infrastructure and connectivity projects.
The hat-trick frame and what it signals
Invoking the hat-trick metaphor is not accidental. It draws a straight line from past performance to future aspiration, inviting voters to see the next election as the completion of an ongoing project rather than a fresh contest. It also signals that the state BJP unit intends to run on its governance record rather than pivot to new messaging — a confident, incumbency-embracing strategy.
The post arrives well ahead of the formal election season, suggesting the party is already laying the rhetorical groundwork. Candidate selection, coalition arithmetic, and the opposition's counter-narrative will determine how much of that confidence translates into votes when Uttarakhand goes to the polls.