Jairam Thakur will be new CM of Himachal Pradesh

There will be a new face as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, as BJP picked five-time legislator Jairam ahead of Union minister JP Nadda.

The meeting was attended by the party’s Central observers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar. The legislators will meet the Governor later to announce their decision.

The legislators’ decision came a day after Prem Kumar Dhumal whom the BJP had named as its prospective Chief Minister 10 days before the elections – pulled out of the race. The 73-year-old had lost the election to his Congress opponent and one-time protege Rajendra Rana, even though his party won 44 of the state’s 68 seats. But he remained in the race as several loyal lawmakers offered him their fresh-won seats.

Thakur has been seen as a Chief Minister-in-waiting for a long time. The 52-year-old had earlier been the party’s state unit chief and a minister in a government headed by Dhumal.

Considered a popular Thakur face, the lawmaker from Seraj constituency served as the BJP’s state chief between 2006 and 2009 and was credited with striking a balance between the warring factions.