BJP appoints six state unit chief; West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh soon
As the appointment of new party chiefs has been completed in 22 states, all eyes are now on whether the BJP will appoint new heads in three key states –– Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat –– before it finalises the name for the national president. Under the party constitution, the national president can be elected after elections are held in 50% of the states. India has 28 states and seven Union Territories.
On Tuesday, the party announced the appointment of Anil Tiwari as the new BJP state chief in Andaman and Nicobar; Ravindra Chavan in Maharashtra; PVN Madhav in Andhra Pradesh; N Ramchander Rao in Telangana; Mahendra Bhatt in Uttarakhand, and Rajeev Bindal in Himachal Pradesh.
In Madhya, Pradesh Hemant Khandelwal filed the nomination for the post of state unit president, which is currently held by VD Sharma. In Bengal, the party announced that the election will be on Thursday. Incumbent Bengal unit chief Sukanta Majumdar is the front runner to retain his post.
According to a party functionary, by the end of the week, new state unit heads will be in place in 24 states.
'As on date the requirement of appointing new chiefs in 50% of the total states prior to the election of the national president has been met…the next step is for the election in-charge K Laxman to announce the schedule for the election of the national president,' said a party functionary .
Responding to a question on whether the party will pick new presidents for the three big states before it begins the process of selecting incumbent president JP Nadda's successor, the functionary said, 'The process of seeking feedback from the cadre in all the three states is more or less over. There are a few districts where appointments have been stalled, but the delay in announcement is not owing to any major discord.'
In Karnataka, there was a division in the party on giving the incumbent BY Vijayendra a second term. A section of leaders wanted the 49-year old Vijayendra to continue while a second group cited the party's stance of not promoting dynastic politics to push for a new name. Vijayendra's father is the former CM, BS Yediyurappa.
In Uttar Pradesh, too, the process has been mired in controversy as there are various caste groups pushing for their candidate. 'A section of leaders feel that the representative should be an OBC or SC in keeping with the leadership's push to social engineering and giving the marginalised sections more representation.The process was also delayed because of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj,' said a state leader. The incumbent president, Bhupendra Chaudhary, comes from the backward castes.
In Gujarat, where Union minister CR Paatil is the state president, the party is divided over whether to pick a Patel or a tribesperson for the top slot. While the Patels are a hefty vote bank that the BJP relies on, the party is equally keen to keep the scheduled tribes close as they make up about 14.8% of the population.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Dilip takes walk with ‘damru' to ‘awaken people'
Kolkata: Bengal BJP senior on Thursday morning walked the streets of Durgapur with a 'damru'. His action came hours before Samik Bhattacharya was elected president of the party's state unit in Kolkata, with all Bengal BJP netas in attendance, barring the former Midnapore MP. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When asked about the 'damru', Ghosh said: "It's Shravan month... Lord Shiva beats the damru to awaken everybody. We too are trying to awaken people, given the current situation." He, however, did not elaborate on what he meant by "current situation". Reacting to Bhattacharya's election, he said: "The party appoints those it deems suitable. He is an educated person who speaks and debates well, and has held important posts in the party earlier." Ghosh, a former Bengal BJP chief, has largely remained absent from recent major party functions, including rallies by PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
PDA strategy, INDIA bloc strength will work in 2027 too: Akhilesh
Attacking the Uttar Pradesh government over its decision to merge primary and upper primary schools having less than 50 students, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that it was being done to devoid the poor of education. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. (HT file) Yadav also accused the BJP of strategically targeting the ideals of reservation, socialism and secularism, especially when elections are near. 'Whenever elections in Bihar come close, they start speaking against reservation, the Constitution and secularism. When they fear a backlash from their vote base, they attack these values indirectly by undermining social justice,' he alleged while addressing his party workers after inaugurating the new party office in Azamgarh. He proposed naming the newly inaugurated party office in Azamgarh as 'PDA Bhawan', declaring that only Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) unity will open the path to social justice and political power. He appealed to the PDA voters to keep an eye on the voters list so that they could exercise their franchise in SP chief claimed that the PDA strategy and INDIA bloc's strength will also work in the 2027 UP assembly polls. Yadav further alleged that the BJP government was identifying such schools wherein booths it had lost and was now planning to close such schools. 'Thousands of such schools are being closed, while liquor shops are being opened indiscriminately,' the SP chief alleged. Referring to the early days of the BJP, Akhilesh reminded the audience of its foundational debates. 'At their first convention, the BJP deliberated on what ideological path to adopt. Some wanted to stick with their original ideology but many knew that India would never accept that path.' Therefore, he said, the BJP chose socialism and secularism but they have forgotten that resolution today. Yadav also extended his party's full support to the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the upcoming assembly assembly polls in Bihar.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
WB CM writes to Amit Shah over spike in fake social media content, cybercrime
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote a letter to union home minister Amit Shah, raising her concern over the spike in provocative social media content and cybercrime. Mamata Banerjee had previously accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading misinformation and fake videos, especially during the violence in Murshidabad (PTI) 'I write to convey my deep concern over an issue that is increasingly posing serious challenges to public tranquillity and the social fabric of our nation – the proliferation of provocative content on some sections of the social media platforms and the alarming rise in cybercrimes,' Banerjee wrote in the letter. Banerjee had previously accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading misinformation and fake videos, especially during the violence in Murshidabad. 'Yesterday some news was spread that I have resigned. Police have registered an FIR. The jumla party only believes in divide-and-rule policy. Fake videos are being circulated every day. Earlier attempts were made to pass off videos of Gujarat riots as those from Murshidabad,' she had said on April 2. Police had suspended internet services in some parts of Murshidabad after violence broke out in West Bengal's Murshidabad district over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in April, to prevent the spread of misinformation. Videos of a mob attacking the block development office in Jalangi and ransacking the office of a railway gateman in Azimganj had surfaced on social media. Rioters were seen in video clips looting an outlet of a retail chain. Police had reportedly resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas after vehicles were torched, shops looted, and policemen attacked. Also Read: 3 killed, 18 cops injured in Murshidabad violence over Waqf Act; 118 held so far In the two-page letter, she said that recent 'incendiary narratives, misleading stories and fake videos' on social media have 'significantly contributed to aggravation of criminal tendencies among certain sections of society.' 'Such content not only spreads misinformation but also has the potential to inflame communal sentiments, incite violence, disrupt societal harmony and indulge in crime against women,' Banerjee added. Banerjee also highlighted the surge in cybercrime and said it is 'growing both in complexity and in its detrimental impact.' Also Read: In Murshidabad riots, rerun of an old story 'From financial frauds and identity theft to online harassment and defamation, cybercrimes are exacting a severe toll on individuals and institutions alike. The current legal framework and its enforcement require further strengthening to keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem and the sophisticated methods employed by malicious actors,' she added. Banerjee urged the home minister to launch large-scale awareness campaigns to promote responsible digital behaviour, alongside sensitisation programmes, digital literacy campaigns, and community engagement initiatives. 'This is a collective challenge requiring urgent and coordinated action to safeguard public order, national unity, and the integrity of our democracy,' the Trinamool Congress posted on X.
