"I will take over as the new BJP national president at 3:30 pm after the formal declaration," the Maharashtra party chief told PTI.
The BJP Parliamentary Board will meet on Saturday, where the incumbent president Rajnath Singh is expected to formally announce his decision to quit from the post.
Gadkari (52) said he will seek the blessings of veteran party leader and former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee soon after assuming the charge.
"I shall visit the Delhi residence of Vajpayee to pay respect to him," Gadkari said in Nagpur. He said he would be leaving for Delhi on Friday morning and return to the city on December 20. He would address media in Nagpur on December 24.
