Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday, 19 June 2026, took to X to mark 12 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, arguing that India has established a new global identity and that the benefits of that transformation are now visible in Uttarakhand.

Context

Posting under the hashtag #12YearsOfIndiaFirst, CM Dhami wrote that under PM Modi's leadership, 'India has established a new identity on the global stage over the past 12 years.' He added that 'whenever the world faces a crisis, conflict, or significant global challenge, large and small nations alike look toward India with hope and trust.'

Dhami attributed this standing to what he described as India's ability to 'establish an effective balance between national interests and global welfare' — a framing consistent with the BJP's long-running 'India First' foreign-policy messaging.

Policy Backdrop

Narendra Modi assumed office as Prime Minister in May 2014, initiating an assertive foreign policy posture alongside large-scale domestic programmes. The Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, announced in May 2020, sought to strengthen domestic supply chains, boost manufacturing, and attract foreign investment.

In his post, CM Dhami cited 'a strong foreign policy, Atmanirbhar Bharat, growing global investment, and robust national security' as the pillars that have 'placed India among the world's leading powers.' These themes mirror the BJP's broader national narrative as the party marks a decade-plus in government at the Centre.

For Uttarakhand specifically, the Char Dham National Highway Development Project — approved in 2016 — has been a flagship connectivity effort, widening mountain roads to improve access to the four major Hindu pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Central investment in tunnels and all-weather roads has been presented by state leaders as a direct dividend of national policy priorities.

Stakeholders and Impact

CM Dhami stated that 'the fruits of these far-sighted decisions have also been received by Devbhoomi Uttarakhand,' pointing to 'modern connectivity, strengthening of the Char Dham Yatra, rapidly developing infrastructure, growing investment, and new employment opportunities.' These are the constituencies most directly affected: pilgrims using the Char Dham corridor, investors eyeing the state's industrial and tourism potential, and residents seeking stable employment.

The post frames local development gains as inseparable from central government decisions — a political alignment that state BJP leaders have consistently maintained since 2014. This narrative is particularly potent in Uttarakhand, where the pilgrimage economy is a major driver of livelihoods and where infrastructure deficits in remote Himalayan terrain have historically constrained growth.

What's Next

Attention will turn to forthcoming Union Budget allocations and any new central investment announcements for Uttarakhand in upcoming NITI Aayog meetings, which will test whether the momentum CM Dhami describes translates into fresh project commitments. Further phases of Char Dham road and tunnel projects remain in various stages of execution, and their progress will be a concrete measure of the policy dividends he claims. The 'Viksit Bharat — Viksit Uttarakhand' (Developed India — Developed Uttarakhand) formulation Dhami used signals that the state government intends to keep its development pitch tightly coupled to the Prime Minister's national vision heading into future electoral cycles.