Nityanand Swami set to become Uttaranchal CM

Swami, a Brahmin, hailing originally from Haryana but settled in Dehradun for the past 40 years, started his career with Jan Sangh but later joined the Congress. He was elected MLA for the first time in 1964.

Swami’s name was mooted by the UP BJP President Kalraj Mishra and approved by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee though not many legislators favoured him during their meeting with BJP chief Bangaru Laxman on October 31 here. “Prime Minister wanted an experienced politician with good administrative capabilities to head Uttaranchal,” claimed a senior BJP leader.

Vajpayee initially wanted Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission KC Pant as the chief minister. The party’s options had become limited to the legislators — and so Pant was ruled out — since no by-election could be held there for next one year due to the problems arising out of the constituency delimitation process.

Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani, last night convened a one-to-one meeting with all the CM aspirants including Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, an MLA from Karnaprayag who has twice served as Cabinet Minister in UP, another senior minister Kedar Singh Phonia and Uttaranchal state BJP chief, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, a first-time MLC. Advani is learnt to have conveyed them that Swami was party’s choice for the hill state.

Nishank had to bow out due to his proximity with former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh who was expelled from the pasty last year and Koshiyari and Phonia had to make way for Swami for being too rigid for the top slot, BJP sources said.

Swami has been deputy chairman of UP Legislative Council for the past 10 years. Having been elected from the lone graduate constituency in Uttaranchal, Swami can claim to represent both Garhwal and Kumaon.