The BJP high command on Sunday handed over crucial Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s righthand man and party’s general secretary Amit Shah by appointing him the state’s incharge. However, in the poll going states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh — the in-charges have not been changed. While general secretary Ananth Kumar will continue holding the charge of MP, Kaptan Singh Solanki will remain Rajasthan’s incharge. However, party’s Rajya Sabha MP Bhupinder Yadav and Kirit Somaiya will assist Mr Solanki till the assembly polls in the state are over. National general secretary J.P. Nadda will continue holding the charge of Chattisgarh. Meanwhile, O.P. Mathur, considered close to Mr Modi, has replaced Balbir Punj as Gujarat incharge. Mr Punj is now Himachal Pradesh’s in-charge. The party also appointed its Andhra Pradesh strongman Bandaru Dattatray as one of its vice-presidents. He has also been made the in-charge of Kerala.
Recently elevated as general secretary, Rajiv Pratap Rudy has been appointed in charge of Maharashtra. Actor-turned MP Smriti Irani will be the in charge of Goa while another party leader S.S. Ahluwalia will be in charge of Assam.
Among the working groups that have been constituted, senior leader Ravishankar Prasad will head the group on neighbouring countries. Senior leader Yashwant Sinha will head the group on economy while Jaswant Singh will head the policy formulation group on foreign affairs. National vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will head the group on minorities.
Mr Naqvi has also been appointed the co-ordinator of party’s Programme Implementation and Coord-ination Committee. Shri-kant Sharma will continue to be the convenor of party’s media along with K.K. Sharma and others are co-convenor. Former Delhi unit president Vijender Gupta has been made convenor of urban local bodies cell.