TS Rawat to be U'khand CM

Trivendra Singh Rawat was on Friday unanimously elected the leader of Uttarakhand BJP legislature party, paving the way for the former RSS man's swearing in on Saturday as the new Chief Minister of the state.

Announcing this after the legislature party meeting at a hotel in Uttarakhand, BJP's central observer for the election Narendra Singh Tomar said Rawat's name was proposed by Prakash Pant and Satpal Maharaj, MLAs from Pithoragarh and Chaubattakhal respectively, and by seconded by a host of other legislators.

Satpal Maharaj, a former Union minister and one of the proposers, was among the contenders for the top job.

Soon after the legislature party meeting, the MLAs left for Raj Bhawan where they will hand over the resolution on Rawat's unanimous election to Governor K K Paul.

Rawat will be sworn-in as the eighth Chief Minister of the hill state on Saturday at the Parade Ground here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, besides a host of national and state party leaders.

Soon after the meeting was over, in charge of the party's affairs in the state Shyam Jaju described Rawat as the most suitable choice for the new responsibility since he was a leader who had both organisational and ministerial experience having served as BJP's organisation secretary and a minister.