Rajeev Bindal emerges as consensus candidate for third term as BJP state president

Having emerged as the consensus candidate, state BJP president Rajeev Bindal is all set to get a third term as party chief as he was the lone person to file his nomination papers today.

Bindal, in the presence of all senior party leaders, filed the nomination papers at the state BJP office, here today. Even though a formal announcement about Bindal getting a third term will be made tomorrow, his continuation as state party president is a foregone conclusion.

He has remained Health and Family Welfare Minister and Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. He emerged as the choice of the high command, including national BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda, even when names of Kangra Lok Sabha MP Rajeev Bhardwaj, Bilaspur MLA Trilok Jamwal, Rajya Sabha MP’s Indu Goswami and Sikander Kumar were doing the rounds.

Election Officer and Kangra Lok Sabha MP Rajiv Bhardwaj said that he received three sets of nomination papers — all with the name of Bindal for being elected as state president. His nomination was approved and backed by Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, entire BJP legislature party, all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, former state presidents, former ministers and senior BJP leaders.

Bhardwaj said a total of eight nominations have also been filed for the post of members of the BJP National Council. Those who have filed their nominations include general secretaries Trilok Kapoor and Bihari Lal Sharma, MLA’s Govind Thakur, Trilok Kapoor, MLA Pawan Kajal, former minister Rajiv Sahajal, former State Mahila BJP President Rashmidhar Sood, Payal Vaidya, and Sanjeev Katwal.

Jai Ram Thakur, all MPs including Anurag Thakur, Suresh Kashyap, Kangana Ranaut, Rajiv Bhardwaj, Indu Goswami, Dr Sikander Kumar and Harsh Mahajan have been elected as ex-officio members of the National Council, he added.