Eye on poll, BJP appoints OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini as new Haryana state chief

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 27

Ahead of the election year in Haryana, the BJP today appointed Kurukshetra MP and the party’s OBC face, Nayab Singh Saini, as the state chief, replacing Om Prakash Dhankar, who has been appointed the party’s national secretary.

Sources said by appointing Saini, an OBC leader and a confidant of CM Manohar Lal Khattar, as the state chief, the party had indicated that it intended to woo OBCs and consolidate its position among the non-Jats.

Since the BJP relies on the non-Jat vote bank, Dhankar, a Jat leader, did not suit the party image as the state chief. “We need to focus on our strengths and the consolidation of non-Jat votes is essential, since there are a number of parties vying for the Jat votes. Further, the Jats have traditionally stayed away from the BJP and attempting to woo them will make little difference,” a party leader said.

Insiders maintained that since the BJP won a number of seats along the GT Road, the party had made its position stronger along this stretch by appointing Saini.

Among other things, the top brass was also regularly apprised of a lack of coordination between the government and the party, necessitating the change, though Dhankar was eased out only after he had served his three-year term as president. With Saini’s appointment, the CM had been strengthened.

The sources said though the party had chosen to appoint a non-Jat as its face in Haryana, despite having a non-Jat CM, it had balanced out the caste equation by “elevating” Dhankar to the position of national secretary. Meanwhile, thanking the party top brass, Saini said he would work to further the policies of the Modi government and take public-oriented decisions of the Khattar government to people.

Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference, Dhankar said the Centre and the state government had made a tremendous contribution in uplifting the economy.

Balancing caste equation

Sources said though the party had chosen to appoint a non-Jat as its face in Haryana, despite having a non-Jat CM, it had balanced out the caste equation by “elevating” Dhankar to the position of national secretary.

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