Uttarkhand CM Vijay Bahuguna on his way out

New Delhi, Jan 30:

Chief Minister

appears to be on his way out and Union Minister

and state minister Pritam Singh are emerging as the frontrunners for the top job in the hill state.

Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC General Secretaries Janardan Dwivedi and Ambika Soni, who is in charge of party affairs in the state, are being sent there as central observers for the changeover, highly placed Congress sources said.

The observers will go there in a day or two and the change of guard is expected to take place by February two.

A decision has been taken to replace Bahuguna. Rawat and Pritam Singh, who is Food and Civil Supplies Minister in the Bahuguna Cabinet, are the frontrunners, they said.

Others in the race include state Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh.

PTI