Early life and Education

Dinesh Dhanai was born in village Khand Gaon (Patti Athoor) near Old Tehri, Tehri district, 1970 in a Rajput family to Gabbar Singh Dhanai and Phool Devi .He did his schooling from Raiwala(Risikesh), Tehri and from Uttarkashi. He is an alumnus of SRTC Campus Old Tehri (Tehri Garhwal). He started his political career as an undaunted party worker in 1986 .

Political Career

Dinesh Dhanai joined Indian National Congress in 1986, at Garhwal University (SRTC) where he showed up his innate leadership attribute. Heavy responsibility was laid on his shoulder as a President of Tehri Dam Rehabilitation Committee (Urban / Rural) in 1989.

He also served as a President of his University in 1992 - SRTC Garhwal University(Old Tehri).

Over the years, he has held several important positions in the state of UP and in the Society, such as Joint Secretary, UP Youth Congress ( IInd term) in 1994, Chairman- Urban Co-operative bank ltd, Tehri Garhwal in 1995- Vice President, UP Youth Congress 1999.

In 2003 he stood as an Independent Candidate from Tehri Nagar Palika and marked his land sliding victory, defeating Congress and BJP. He served there till 2008 and during his Chairmanship tenure he contested legislative assembly election (in 2007) as an independent candidate and marked third position. Dinesh Dhanai without shattering his confidence stood independent from the same seat in 2012 whose 30 percent area was turned out after demarcation. His attempt to enter Legislative Assembly was successful with the close margin from INC and BJP .

He served as a Chairman of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam with Cabinet status/rank for two years . In 2014 he was inducted into Harish Rawats cabinet with the portfolios of (Tourism, Youth Welfare, Teerthatan, Dharmik Mela, Sanskriti). He is an independent MLA and the youngest Cabinet minister in Uttarakhand .