Nadda, Pradhan to monitor BJP poll campaign in U’khand

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday appointed union ministers JP Nadda and Dharmendra Pradhan as in-charge for Uttarakhand assembly elections slated early next year. The appointment came a couple of days after BJP chief Amit Shah met party’s core group of Uttarakhand in Delhi to chalk out plans for the party’s victory in the assembly polls.

It would be a first time for union minister for health and family welfare JP Nadda, who represents neighbouring Himachal Pradesh in Rajya Sabha, to work closely with the party leaders in Uttarakhand.

But Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan is familiar with the state and Uttarakhand BJP leaders. He was the in-charge for elections in 2012 when former chief minister BC Khanduri was projected as party’s face.

“Pradhanji and Naddaji both are experienced leaders. We had worked with Pradhanji in the past so we know his strengths,” said BJP leader Ajayendra Ajay.

In the 2012 elections, the BJP won 31 seats, just one less than the Congress’ tally. A section in the BJP believes the party could not form a government on its own but it managed to perform well against all odds when Pradhan worked behind the curtains. Pradhan, who belongs to Odisha but represents Bihar in Rajya Sabha, as the president of BJP’s youth wing had held repeated meetings with the state leaders.

BJP legislator Pushkar Dhami, who was the state president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) when Pradhan was heading the national unit, dubbed him a “master strategist”.