BJP picks Suresh Khanna as party leader in assembly

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership on Thursday chose its seven term MLA Suresh Khanna, 61, as the leader of the party’s legislative wing in UP assembly over its other veteran Satish Mahana, the MLA from Kanpur, who was also the party’s deputy leader in the assembly so far.

Khanna would lead the party MLAs meeting chief minister Akhilesh Yadav over the Kanth controversy on Friday to demand action against Moradabad SSP Dharamvir who has been accused by the BJP of manhandling party legislators. “Dharamvir has been known for being insensitive. He should never have been posted in such a sensitive district as Moradabad. We demand action against him,” Khanna told HT immediately after his elevation.

Khanna has been representing Shahjahanpur in state assembly since 1989. To play down Mahana’s absence at Khanna’s elevation, the BJP leaders got party’s other veteran MLA Salil Bishnoi to move the proposal of making Khanna the party’s leader. The BJP has 38 legislators in the Vidhan Sabha and 6 in the legislative council (Vidhan Parishad).

Spokesman for UP BJP Chandramohan while justifying Khanna’s election said, “From 2004 to 2007, he was the party’s chief whip in the assembly. Having worked with former UP chief ministers like Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta, Rajnath Singh and Mayawati (when she headed a BSP-BJP government for a while), Khanna has the experience and knowledge. He has the backing of all MLAs and blessings of our top leaders.” State BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai welcomed Khanna’s elevation.