Namdhari has been expelled from the party following his arrest in connection with the Chattarpur farmhouse shootout in which controversial liquor baron Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep were killed, state BJP chief Bishan Singh Chufal said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday accused the ruling Congress of trying to poach its members of Legislative Assembly in Uttarakhand to get a seat vacated for Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, enabling him to enter the state Assembly.
BJP President Rajnath Singh, senior party leader M M Joshi, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Chidanand Muni of Parmarth Niketan ashram were also present during the swearing-in ceremony.
At least half a dozen names have begun doing the rounds as Dhami's likely replacement, including Chaubattakhal MLA Satpal Maharaj, Srinagar Garhwal MLA Dhan Singh Rawat, former chief minister Triveda Singh Rawat, who did not contest the polls this time, and Didihat legislator Bishan Singh Chufal.
At 45, Dhami takes over as the youngest chief minister of Uttarakhand.