BJP gets new state presidents; ideological association with RSS & caste factor at play
New Delhi: The BJP is close to finalising the presidents of 12 states/Union territories and a common thread emanating from the selection process, besides the caste factor, is that most of the candidates shortlisted seem to have a long-standing association with the RSS.
With the state party presidents in place, the stage is set for the much-awaited election of the party's national president. The BJP elected K Beichhua and VP Ramalingam as the party presidents for Mizoram and Puducherry. Barring these two candidates, all the rest of the shortlisted state presidents are ideologically associated with RSS and BJP right from the Jan Sangh days. In the next two-three days, BJP will elect its state unit chiefs for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and other state/UT units. In Andhra Pradesh, OBC candidate PVN Madhav, an old party hand and whose family has been associated with RSS, will be made the state party chief.
Similarly, in Telangana, Ramchander Rao, a brahmin, is set to be BJP state unit head. He is strongly associated with the RSS. With two Union ministers -- Bandi Sanjay (OBC) and G Kishen Reddy -- from the influential Reddy caste, the party has opted for Brahmin as its state unit head here.
In Uttarakhand, Mahendra Bhatt is likely to continue as state unit president. In this hilly state where the politics is dominated by Thakurs and Brahmin and with a Thakur, Pushkar Singh Dhami as state chief minister, the party has opted for Brahmin as state president.
Similarly, in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, the incumbent Rajiv Bandal may continue as BJP state unit president. Here also, the politics is dominated by Thakurs and Brahmins. With Jairam Thakur as leader of opposition in the state assembly and JP Nadda, a Brahmin as Union Minister, the party has opted for a Baniya who has strong associations with the Sangh.
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In the organisationally crucial state of Madhya Pradesh, Hemant Khandelwal is seen as a frontrunner for the state unit president post.
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