EYE ON POLLS, BJP REORGANISES ITS UNITS IN MP AND RAJASTHAN

BHOPAL/JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday appointed Rakesh Singh as the new president of its Madhya Pradesh unit, while also accepting the resignation of its Rajasthan chief Ashok Parnami.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is touted to be the party’s new president in Rajasthan, people familiar with the developments said. The reshuffle comes ahead of the assembly polls in both the states.

Rakesh Singh, a three-time MP from Jabalpur and chief whip of the party in the Lok Sabha, replaces Nandkumar Singh Chauhan.

Madhya Praesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted that he was confident the party would reach new heights under Singh.

In his acceptance speech at the BJP headquarters in Bhopal, Singh expressed his gratitude to the central leadership and the chief minister. “This is a big day for me and I will take every challenge as an opportunity. I am confident that under the leadership of Chouhan, we will win the 2018 assembly elections.”

Commenting on Singh’s elevation, senior journalist NK Singh said, “He is a dark horse and one does not know much about him. There were many men of proven ability in the state, such as Kailash Vijayvargiya, or even Narottam Mishra, who despite their angularities, had the ability to take the party with them. But since they were on the wrong side of the chief minister, a compromise candidate has been chosen.”

Meanwhile, in Rajasthan, Parnami was made member of the party’s national executive committee. People in the know said the BJP’s national leadership was in favour of replacing Parnami after the party faced a rout in the bypolls to two LS seat and one assembly seat in January this year.