Shimla: Jairam Thakur, a five-time MLA from Seraj in Mandi district, has been selected to be the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.

The 52-year-old leader was previously part of Dhumals cabinet and also worked as the president of the BJP state unit. Thakur is perceived to be a non-controversial pick due to this low-profile.

Earlier, the name of Union Health Minister J P Nadda was doing the rounds of being a contender for the post of chief minister.

Party insiders had said that Nadda had been a chief ministerial aspirant for a long time but after the BJP decided to name Dhumal as its leader, he quietly withdrew from the limelight.