​BJP’s 4 New State Presidents: NTR’s Daughter, ‘Hindu Leader’ in Punjab, A Reddy & a ‘Tribal’ Old Hand

Ahead of next year’s crucial Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opted for a major rejig in four states — Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Punjab. It was speculated for some time, particularly in Telangana. However, the timing was sudden, as has been the way BJP functions since 2014. Interestingly, two of these four new BJP state presidents are former Congress leaders — with one having served as a Congress state president and the other a union minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime.

TELANGANA: RSS’s BLUE-EYED BOY REMOVED

The focus has been Telangana, where Bandi Sanjay has been removed and Union Minister G Kishen Reddy has been appointed as the Telangana BJP chief. Reddys are a dominant caste in the social milieu of Andhra and Telangana. Although Reddy’s name was doing the rounds for Telangana BJP chief for some time, he, in a press conference last week, rubbished them saying, “I have no such information. There is no such plan yet.”

Considered the blue-eyed boy of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP had to defer his replacement, as the state RSS unit told party chief JP Nadda that replacing him will hurt the BJP’s interest in the state. Sanjay was a strong anti-KCR voice in Telangana, which helped place the BJP as the main opposition in the state, in terms of perception. The BJP was also taken aback by the social media support that poured in his favour.

With the Telangana election scheduled this year and having digested a defeat in Karnataka, the BJP couldn’t risk it in Telangana. However, to placate the RSS concern, it is now speculated that Sanjay may find a place in Modi’s Council of Ministers in the next reshuffle.

ANDHRA: NTR’S DAUGHTER, FORMER UPA-ERA MINISTER

Daggubati Purandeswari, a former Union Minister of the UPA era who later switched to the BJP, will now head to the Andhra Pradesh BJP.

Often touted to be the ‘Sushma Swaraj of the South’ for her eloquent speeches, she is the daughter of NT Rama Rao, a famous actor-turned-politician. By appointing her as Andhra Pradesh BJP chief, the BJP can exploit NTR’s legacy in a state where he is still remembered very fondly.

As a Congressperson, she won from Vishakhapatnam and was made part of Dr Manmohan Singh’s council of ministers twice. A vocal opponent to the creation of Telangana, she joined the BJP in 2014 as a mark of protest against the Congress.

With the Andhra Pradesh election scheduled next year, where Jagan Reddy’s YSRCP is ruling, Purandeswari’s challenge will be to ensure the BJP comes out as the main opposition party.

PUNJAB: THEN CONG PRESIDENT, NOW BJP BOSS

A former Pradesh Congress president of Punjab, Sunil Jakhar will head the BJP’s organisation in the same state. Today. Nadda appointed him, replacing Ashwini Sharma.

After an acrimonious stint with top Punjab Congress leaders, he switched to the BJP last year. In a press conference at BJP headquarters, he had reasoned to be “nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab”. Time and again, before his switch, Jakhar made it clear he was unhappy with the Congress leaders who never considered him for the Chief Minister’s post simply because of his religion. Punjab is a Sikh-dominated state and Jakhar is a Hindu.

Soft-spoken, with an MBA degree, Jakhar has been an MLA thrice and was elected a Member of Parliament in 2017 from Gurdaspur.

His main challenge will be to regroup and rejuvenate the BJP’s organisation in a state where the party was shunned due to the three contentious Farmers Bills.

JHARKHAND: BRINGING BACK THE TRIBAL FACTOR

Raghubar Das, the first ever non-tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand, a state dominated by tribals, couldn’t help the BJP win a second term. In the run-up to the Assembly election last time, many within the state BJP suggested that Arjun Munda — an old BJP hand and tribal — be made the Chief Ministerial face of the BJP. Not wishing to deviate from its custom of bringing in a new CM face ahead of an election in a state where the BJP has a Chief Minister, the BJP didn’t pay heed. The BJP lost Jharkhand hands down, with even Das losing his seat.

With Jharkhand scheduled to go to polls again next year, the BJP has brought in Babulal Marandi. Not only is he a tribal, but he has been the Chief Minister of Jharkhand when the state was carved out of Bihar. As an old hand who knows how to run ‘sangathan’ or organization and a cool-headed person who is approachable, Marandi was the obvious choice for Nadda.