Ajay Bhatt elected new Uttarakhand BJP chief

Dehradun, Dec 31: Senior BJP member and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Ajay Bhatt was today elected unopposed as new chief of the party's state unit as it prepares for the 2017 Assembly polls.

Bhatt was elected unopposed as all three sets of nomination papers filed by the party leaders favoured him, Jabalpur MP Rakesh Singh, who supervised the process, said.

Considered as one of the prominent leaders in the BJP's state unit, Bhatt had earlier served as Health Minister of Uttarakhand.

He was elected after the three-year term of incumbent Tirath Singh Rawat expired last month.

Even as former Chief Ministers Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhriyal — were absent from the programme, Bhatt said he would aim for victory in the 2017 Assembly elections by working together with all the party members.

He sought support of his party in "uprooting" the Congress government in the state and eradicating corruption.

Rakesh Singh also said five party leaders were nominated today to represent the state in the BJP's national council.

Almora MP Ajay Tamta, Tehri Garhwal MP Maharani Mala Rajylaxmi, former MPs Balraji Paasi, Manoharkant Dhyani and senior leader Mohan Lal Bothiyal were nominated for the party's national council.

PTI