BJP announces election in-charges for Bihar, Bengal and Tamil Nadu

The ruling BJP on Thursday sounded the poll bugle by appointing senior leaders as the in-charges for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan would be in charge of the high-stakes Bihar assembly poll, with top party leaders Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil and Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya as co-in-charge.

In Bengal, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav -- with a long track record of victories -- will steer the party strategy as in-charge and will be assisted by former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb as co-in-charge.

BJP national vice president in charge of Delhi, Baijayant Panda, has been given the responsibility of Tamil Nadu, along with Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation.

The BJP hopes to retain power as the senior-most NDA ally in Bihar and will go into the polls under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar of the JDU. In Bengal, the party is eyeing major gains, as it also is in Tamil Nadu, where it is currently a non-player.