Nadda's confidant Bindal to be next Himachal BJP chief: Party leader

Bharatiya Janata Party National Working President Jagat Prakash Nadda's close confidant Rajeev Bindal will be the new Himachal Pradesh BJP chief, a state party leader said on Thursday. A formal announcement will be made on Saturday, he said on the condition of anonymity.

Bindal will resign as Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker before filing his nomination for the post of state BJP president on Friday, he said. A unanimity on Bindal's name has already been reached in the party, he said.

The process of filing nomination for the state president will start on Friday at BJP's state office Deepkamal in Chakkar here, BJP's state vice president Ram Swaroop Sharma said.

Nominations for the president post may be filed for 24 hours, he added. Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and BJP's national secretary Sunil V. Deodhar will come to Himachal Pradesh as observer for the election, he added.