Chandigarh, July 30 -- Punjab BJP is all set to elect the newly appointed working president Ashwani Sharma as its new state unit chief by mid-August, sources within the party confirmed. The state unit kick-started organisational polls for the district chiefs last week. On Tuesday, the party's national vice-president, Rekha Verma, who is incharge of the organisational polls in Punjab, reached Chandigarh to take stock of the internal poll process and directed the state leaders to conclude it by next week. Senior party leader, who didn't wish to be named, said that after the polls for district presidents, the process for the election of the new state party chief will start. "Panels from each district are sent to the national party president's office, which would finalise one name as district party chief. This entire process is a mere formality, as usually, the national office picks the name suggested by the state body," said a general secretary of the party. Many senior leaders have confirmed that Pathankot MLA will take over the reins of party chief from Sunil Jakhar, who has already conveyed his reluctance to continue to the senior party leadership around six months ago and has hardly been active in the organisational set-up of the party. "Sharma was appointed working president with an aim to elevate him as regular president later. Jakhar has also been conveyed the wishes of the party to appoint Sharma as regular president after organisational polls for the district," a second senior leader, whom HT spoke to, said. Party insiders claimed that Jakhar is likely to be given some other role, keeping in mind the upcoming 2027 assembly polls in Punjab. Sharma's appointment is also likely to see a reshuffle in the party's organisation. For Sharma, it will be his fourth stint as state president. He was first appointed as party president in 2006 and for the second time in 2019. He also remained party chief for a short period of six months in 2022 before Jakhar replaced him in July 2023. Sharma, who is known for his plain speaking, has clout among the grassroots workers....