New state presidents have been named for the BJP’s units in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh.
Advertisement
Sampla, a Dalit leader from Punjab’s Doaba belt, replaces Kamal Sharma who had already completed his term as state president in the month of December past year. His appointment has come at most appropriate time as the rolling Congress was deprived of a strong leadership as lent by former chief ministers like Veerendra Patil and S.M. Krishna.
In another development, BJP also named Keshav Prasad Maurya as the new party chief in Uttar Pradesh.
“He comes from a backward community and a very poor family”. He used to sell tea and newspapers for a living during his childhood.
Mr Maurya was a full-time pracharak or worker of the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and for years held charge of the Kanshi region which includes Varanasi, the PM’s constituency.
The BJP had swept the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, winning 71 of the 80 seats on its own while helping an ally get two seats.
Singh downplayed corruption cases against him, saying he has been discharged in some and there is no substance in others.
The state has a Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance government in power since 2007.
The announcement to this effect made at New Delhi on the occasion of “Ugadi” on Friday is being welcomed as a “new year” gift took the party, said Suresh C. Angadi, MP (Belagavi).
Though he was elevated to the post of party’s vice president, he was not much interested in national politics but keen on returning to his ” karma bhoomi”.
Advertisement
Laxman is presently its leader in the state assembly while Gao was a former Lok Sabha member.
