Several state BJP units may get new heads

Several state units of the Bharatiya Janata Party are likely to get new chiefs as many of the state presidents have become Ministers at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections.

Also, many state party leaders or state ministers have become MPs, which has given rise to several vacancies in the party structure all over the country. This is in addition to the national BJP president Amit Shah, who has assumed charge as Home Minister in the Narendra Modi Cabinet.

As per the party’s “one person-one post” principle, a leader cannot simultaneously be president and a minister. Therefore, the party leadership has started consultations to fill up these vacancies.

State presidents of UP, Bihar, Telangana and Maharashtra have become MPs and joined the Narendra Modi Cabinet. Uttar Pradesh BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey is now the Skill Development Minister. This is to be noted that under Modi-1, Pandey was MoS in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), but he had to resign after he was appointed the state BJP chief.

According to sources, Manoj Sinha, who lost the Lok Sabha elections from Ghazipur and comes from the Bhumihar community, is being considered for the post of president. However, a section in the party favours someone from Scheduled Caste (SC) or OBC since the current president is a Brahmin. Among them, the names that are doing the rounds are Swatantra Dev Singh, Vidya Sagar Sonkar and Parlakshman Acharya. Besides, Keshav Prasad Maurya’s name is also being discussed for the same. In Bihar, state president Nityanand Rai, who is from the Yadav community, has become MoS in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Former Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh’s name is doing the rounds for the post. Sources said the president will be chosen keeping in mind the Assembly elections next year.

Telangana BJP president G. Kishan Reddy has joined as the other Minister of State for Home. The party performed well in the state by winning four Lok Sabha seats. Similarly, in Maharashtra, state BJP chief Rao Saheb Danve has become MoS in the Consumer Affairs Ministry. Sources said since Assembly elections are going to be held in a few months from now, he may continue for the time being.

There is speculation that state presidents in Rajasthan and Jharkhand may also be changed. Sources said Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore may replace Madan Lal Saini as the state president in Rajasthan. In Jharkhand, state president Laxman Gilua lost the Lok Sabha elections from Chaibasa. Sources said that since the Assembly elections are going to be held this year, the party leadership does not want to continue with someone who has lost as the president. Vacancies have arisen in the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh as well following the Lok Sabha polls. Three ministers in the Yogi government—Satyadev Pachauri, Rita Bahuguna Joshi and S.P.S. Baghel— have become MPs. The party needs to fill these vacancies and also find candidates for the bypolls.