Pradhan BJP’S poll incharge in UP, Shekhawat in Punjab
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party kicked off its preparations for elections in five states to be held in 2022 by appointing four Union ministers and a former chief minister in charge of the party’s election efforts in these. Three other Union ministers, several ministers of state, and senior partly leaders and parliamentarians will assist them. The BJP is in power in four of the five states.
Union minister for education and skill development, Dharmendra Pradhan, has been given charge of the politically signifia cant state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends the largest number of members to the Lok Sabha. According to senior party leaders, his nomination to the position is an indication of the party projecting him as an OBC (Other Backward Classes) face.
“He is an OBC himself and has good understanding of the caste matrix. He also has the advantage of having worked as an election incharge in Bihar. Since this election will see mobilisation of the OBC castes, his appointment is crucial,” said a party functionary who asked not to named. Pradhan was most recently in charge of Nandigram in West Bengal during the assembly elections. The party’s Suvendu Adhikari won the election defeating his mentor and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
The “co-incharges” are Union minister for information and broadcasting, Anurag Thakur,
BHUPENDRA YADAV IS INCHARGE OF MANIPUR, PRALHAD JOSHI OF UTTARAKHAND, AND DEVENDRA FADNAVIS OF GOA
the minister of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, MOS for agriculture Shobha Karanjdale, MOS education Annupurna Devi, former national general secretary Saroj Pandey, MP Vivek Thakur and former minister in Haryana Capt Abhimanyu.
Thakur was appointed as incharge of the District Development Council (DDC) elections held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020. “His performance in the DDC elections was appreciated in the party. He is also is a young leader who has a good connect with the youth,” said a second party functionary who asked not to be named.
Union minister for parliamentary affairs, Pralhad Joshi has been given charge of Uttarakhand. BJP MP from West Bengal Locket Chatterjee and BJP spokesperson RP Singh will be the co-incharges for the state where the BJP changed three chief ministers within a year. “In Uttarakhand the intra-party issues have now been settled, but Joshi will have to strike a balance between the aspirations of the people from the hill and the plains,” said the second leader.
In Uttarakhand the party faces challenges on account of governance issues that in turn led to the frequent change in leadership. “The issue of frequent changes (of CMS) is an issues, but the party is hopeful that with new CM (Pushkar Dhami) in the seat it will come back to power,” said a BJP leader from Uttarakhand who asked not to be named.
Union minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Shekhawat has been given charge of Punjab where the party will be contesting on its own for the first time after breaking away from its ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal. The party faces a daunting task in the state, as farmers in Punjab have been in the forefront of the ongoing stir against the farm laws. “Shekhawat’s familiarity with issues pertaining to agriculture and his friendly demeanour are seen as advantages,” said the second leader. Union minister for urban development Hardeep Singh Puri, MOS for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi and MP Vionod Chawda will be co-incharges in Punjab.
Bhupendra Yadav, Union minister for labour and environment will be incharge of Manipur. MOS, social justice, Pratima Bhaumik and Assam minister Ashok Singhal have been named the co-incharges for Manipur, where the BJP is also in power.
Yadav, is also the party’s prominent OBC face. Also incharge of Gujarat and Bihar, he is considered a confidant of the party brass. “Both Yadav and Pradhan have a deep understanding of the organisational matters. They understand the dynamics of electoral politics,” said the first functionary.
Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has been given charge of Goa where the party faces a slew of challenges including the anger over the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Union minister for culture and tourism G Kishen Reddy and MOS, railways, Darshana Jardosh will be the co-incharges.