The BJP’s central leadership has initiated the process to appoint a new state president for Uttarakhand. According to party insiders, the official announcement may be made on July 1, with the internal election process likely to begin on June 29. Union Minister Harsh Malhotra has been appointed as the election officer for the process.
State election officer Khajan Das stated that if the notification is issued on June 29, the list of eligible voters will be displayed the same day at the party’s state office. Nomination filing is expected to take place on June 30, followed by the official election of the state president on July 1. The complete schedule will be released soon. With the selection of booth-level, mandal, and district-level presidents already completed, the party is now set to finalise the top post in the state.
While there is speculation that current state president Mahendra Bhatt may be reappointed due to the party’s recent electoral success and his good coordination with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the central leadership is known for making unexpected choices. Hence, other names are also being discussed based on caste and regional equations.
Probable Contenders from Party Circles
The top contenders for the state BJP chief post include State General Secretary Aditya Kothari, designated leader Jyoti Prasad Gairola, senior MLA Vinod Chamoli, and MLA Brijbhushan Gairola. If the party decides to hand the reins to a woman leader, possible names include Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal and BJP Mahila Morcha National General Secretary Deepti Rawat Bhardwaj.
