With just nine days left for polling to take place in Himachal Pradesh, BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that 73-year-old veteran leader Professor PK Dhumal will be the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the hill state.

The name of Dhumal, who is just two years short of the party’s unofficial age bar, was announced by Shah at an election rally in the state where the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government is facing massive anti-incumbency sentiment.

A former chief minister and a Thakur, Prof. Dhumal is contesting from a new Assembly constituency, Sujanpur, this time.

Sujanpur and its adjoining seats, including Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi, have a significant Thakur population. Thakurs, who constitute about 35 per cent of the population, are the largest caste group in Himachal, followed by Dalits (25 per cent), Brahmins (15 per cent) and OBCs (12 per cent).

Himachal Pradesh’s 68 Assembly seats go to polls on November 9.

PM Modi, who shares an excellent rapport with Dhumal, tweeted, “Dhumal Ji is among our senior-most leaders with rich administrative experience in Himachal. He will once again make a wonderful CM... BJP’s focus is politics of development. We want to make Himachal corruption-free and initiate record development initiatives in the state.”