Uttarakhand BJP to get new chief tomorrow, ex-CMs in fray

DEHRADUN: The BJP state unit will get a new chief tomorrow as the three-year term of incumbent Tirath Singh Rawat has expired and the party looks to prepare for the 2017 Assembly elections.

Speaking at a press conference here, Rawat, whose term ended last month but has continued on the post, said the process to elect the new state unit chief would begin at 11 am tomorrow at the party headquarters here.

By the afternoon, the state unit would get its new chief. Also five leaders would be nominated for the party's national council, he said.

Party sources say three former Chief Ministers, who are now members of parliament - Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, Ramesh Pokhriyal - are in the fray.

Besides, leader of opposition in the Assembly Ajay Bhatt; party's Jharkhand unit in-charge, Tridev Singh Rawat; and former Mahamantri of the state unit, Dhan Singh Rawat, are also in the contest, the sources said.

The process would be supervised by party's central leadership and MP from Madhya Pradesh Rakesh Singh, Rawat said in the press conference.