BJP replaces state in-charges for HP, Haryana; retains Rupani in Punjab

New Delhi, July 5

The BJP on Friday began its process of organisational overhaul after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, replacing the state in-charges for Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and retaining those in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will continue to be the state in-charge with Narender Singh as his deputy for Punjab. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh has been retained as in charge for Ladakh and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

In poll-bound Haryana, former Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia will replace former Tripura CM Biplab Deb as the BJP in-charge, with Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Singh Nagar as the co-in-charge. Former UP Power Minister Srikant Sharma has replaced Avinash Rai Khanna as the party in-charge of Himachal, while Sanjay Tandon who unsuccessfully contested the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat against Congress’ Manish Tewari will remain Himachal BJP co-in-charge.

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh made these announcements approved by party president JP Nadda. BJP national general secretaries Vinod Tawde and Radha Mohan Das Agarwal will continue to look after the saffron party’s organisational affairs in Bihar and Karnataka, respectively.

Former I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar will remain the in-charge of Kerala, Bihar MLA Nitin Nabin will be the party’s in-charge of Chhattisgarh, Ashish Sood of Goa, BJP national vice-president Laxmikant Bajpai of Jharkhand, Mahendra Singh of Madhya Pradesh and Vijaypal Singh Tomar of Odisha.

The party’s national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam will continue to be the in-charge of Uttarakhand. BJP MP Sambit Patra has also been retained as the coordinator for the north-eastern states.

A state in-charge works as the link between the national leadership and state leadership. The party is yet to take a call on state in-charge for Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, where it underperformed grossly.

Current UP BJP in-charge is the party’s national vice-president Baijayant Panda. Dinesh Sharma is the Maharashtra BJP in-charge.