Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

OP DHANKAR IS NEW HARYANA BJP CHIEF

- HT Correspond­ent

CHANDIGARH: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday appointed Om Prakash Dhankar, who hails from the powerful Jat community and is known for his outspoken mannerism, as president of party’s state unit. “BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed Dhankar, a former minister in Haryana government, as state BJP chief,” said Arun Singh, BJP’S national general secretary.

Dhankar, 59, a staunch Rashtriya Swayamseva­k Sangh (RSS) ideologue, has replaced Subhash Barala, who was elevated to the top post in December 2014 and had completed his term.

The appointmen­t is also being seen as an attempt to balance the caste equations in the state, where politics revolves around Jats and non-jats.

Chief minister Khattar congratula­ted Dhankar over his appointmen­t. In his tweet, Khattar said he has firm belief that party workers will get the benefit of Dhankar’s vast political experience and the party’s state unit will be further strengthen­ed with his appointmen­t. Sources said that the appointmen­t of Dhankar as BJP Haryana chief was finalised after hectic discussion­s. Dhankar and former minister Abhimanyu, both leaders from the Jat community, were in the race to become the next state unit chief.

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