The Hindu : Major reshuffle in BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 03, 2002

National

National

Major reshuffle in BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MAY 2. The Bharatiya Janata Party president, Jana Krishnamurthi, today announced a major re-shuffle of positions in the party organisation aimed at stemming the rot that has set in and arresting a string of electoral defeats.

The most significant is the appointment of the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, as `prabhari'' (in-charge of political affairs) of the State.

He replaces Kushabhau Thakre, who has now been `elevated' to the position of "zonal head'' to supervise the `prabharis' of West Bengal, Assam, Orissa and the north-east.

However, after appointments of `zonal heads' yesterday, Mr. Singh will have a `super prabhari' to report to — Kailashpati Mishra, who has had considerable experience in holding together the faction-ridden unit of the party in Bihar as `prabhari' of the State.

To that extent the idea seems to be to prevent increasing factionalism in the State where anti-Mayawati and pro-Mayawati factions exist.

Mr. Krishnamurthi's order has also given charge of Tamil Nadu to Sunil Shastri, general secretary, while Ramdas Agarwal, a former president of the Rajasthan unit, will look after the all-important State of Gujarat.

Mr. Sangh Priya Gautam, vice-president, has been asked to take over responsibility of Punjab and Chandigarh.

Mr. Krishnamurthi has, as promised, made some significant changes over the last few days. The country was divided into five zones for party organisation purposes, each with a very senior man and `pracharak' as its head.

He shifted Padmanabhacharya from the north-east ( where he messed up the affairs by trying to get a BJP Government installed in Manipur in the place of the `friendly' Samata Government) to Kerala and the Lakshadweep.

Maya Singh, general secretary, has been given charge of Bihar, and Om Prakash Kohli, Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir.

Maharashtra and Goa are now the responsibility of Bal Apte, and this is important as Goa is going to the polls later this month. Kailash Joshi, a former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, is now the `prabhari' of Chattisgarh, where the party recently suffered the ignominy of a major split in its legislature party, thus strengthening the Congress Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi's hands.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National