SHIMLA (TIP): BJP central observers Nirmala Sitaraman and Narendra Singh Tomar arrived here today to meet the newly elected party MLAs to elicit their views and arrive at a consensus on a new chief minister.

A meeting of BJP Legislature party has been convened for the interaction of central observers along with in charge for party affairs Mangal Pandey with party MLAs and a meeting of core committee is also scheduled later in the evening, the BJP sources said.

The shock defeat of the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal from Sujanpur has opened up the race for the top post in Himachal Pradesh.

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Jairam Thakur, five-time MLA from Seraj in Mandi district, are being seen as front-runners for the chief minister’s post.

The central observes would also hold a meeting with members of core committee which included Dhumal, state party chief Satpal Singh Satti, all five MPs from the state and organisation secretary, Pawan Rana.

The central members are also likely to meet the MLAs individually to elicit their views and the leader would be elected by consensus, the party sources said.

The BJP has 44 members in the 68-member Assembly.