In preparation for the impending Lok Sabha elections scheduled for next year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated a comprehensive organizational restructuring. Notable changes include the appointment of new state unit chiefs in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Jharkhand.
These alterations also signal the possibility of adjustments in the Union Council of Ministers. The appointment of Minister G Kishan Reddy as the party chief in poll-bound Telangana hints at further redeployment of Central ministers as state unit presidents in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Alongside G Kishan Reddy, the BJP has designated former Union Minister D Purandeswari as Andhra BJP chief and entrusted former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi with the leadership of its Jharkhand unit.
PM Modi engages in policy discussions with ministers to strategize for the upcoming elections.
Sunil Jakhar, a former Congress leader who joined the BJP last year, will assume the leadership in Punjab. Additionally, OBC leader Etela Rajender has been appointed as the chairperson of the election management committee in Telangana.
The BJP intends to scale up and coordinate its preparations for crucial state elections and the Lok Sabha polls through the strategic appointment of Union ministers. There are plans to reshuffle the Union Council of Ministers to include fresh faces. State leaders like C R Paatil, the current Gujarat BJP chief, may be brought to Delhi as part of this process.
Given the significance of the elections, the party acknowledges the need for additional manpower. While the government's role in the election is limited, the organization must be fully active, as emphasized by a BJP leader.
The recent appointments aim to minimize potential losses and maximize gains in the Lok Sabha elections. Moreover, some appointments seem to be looking towards the future, as the central leadership desires to nurture new leaders even in BJP-ruled states, explains the leader.
The BJP's approach to lateral entries, leaders joining from other parties, has experienced a shift in perspective. The party has now given greater importance to such leaders, as seen in the latest reshuffle. Notably, Sunil Jakhar and Etela Rajender joined from the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) respectively, while D Purandeswari was formerly in the Congress and served as a Union minister in the UPA government before moving to the BJP in 2014. Babulal Marandi was the founder president of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik).
EXPLAINED: Importance of States in the Upcoming Elections
Given the key states going to polls in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP believes that experienced leaders need to lead the rank and file on the ground rather than solely focus on the government. This organizational revamp aims to reflect this viewpoint.
Telangana
In Telangana, the BJP sees G Kishan Reddy and Rajender as a formidable combination. Reddy's acceptability and Rajender's strategic acumen make them the party's trump card. The BJP aims to emerge as a strong alternative in the state, which has faced internal feuds. Rajender is expected to be the face against KCR (K Chandrashekar Rao). Caste equations were considered in the appointments, with Reddy representing the upper caste face and Rajender being the OBC representative. The party now seeks to consolidate Hindu votes, as Dalits and Muslims
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