Jai Ram Thakur is BJP’s choice for Himachal CM
SUSPENSE ENDS Nadda, Dhumal endorse choice of fivetime MLA from Seraj SHIMLA:
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday named Jai Ram Thakur as legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh, effectively making him the state’s next chief minister.
The 52-year-old mild-mannered five-time MLA from Seraj was elected leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party in the presence of the central party observers — defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
“Former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal proposed Jai Ram Thakur to be elected as the Legislature party leader. Shanta Kumar and JP Nadda also supported this proposal,” Tomar said at a press meet on Sunday morning, putting to rest days of speculation over who would helm the state.
The race for chief ministership opened up after the BJP swept the recently-concluded state election but suffered a shock loss in Prem Kumar Dhumal’s defeat. The party’s initial choice for CM, Dhumal lost Sujanpur to his once-protege Rajinder Rana of the Congress.
While supporters called for his appointment, Dhumal himself said he was out of the race on Saturday. Union minister JP Nadda was also considered a top contender for the post.
“I thank everyone, central leadership, Prem Kumar Dhumal who proposed my name (which was) supported by JP Nadda and Shanta Kumar,” Thakur said after the announcement.
A former state BJP chief, Thakur has won from the Seraj constituency five times in a row.