Vijay Rupani to handle Punjab and Chandigarh as BJP names Lok Sabha poll in-charge for 23 states, union territories
Aditi Tandon
New Delhi, January 27
The ruling BJP on Saturday appointed Lok Sabha election in-charges for 23 states and UTs naming Rajya Sabha member and Odisha leader Baijayant Panda the sole in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, which returns the highest 80 Lok Sabha MPs.
Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani will handle Chandigarh and Punjab. In Punjab, he will be assisted by Narinder Singh as co in- charge.
BJP in-charge for Haryana Biplab Deb remains state Lok Sabha in-charge with MP Surinder Nagar (BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national secretary) appointed co in-charge in the state.
In Himachal, former BJP national media in-charge and the current state MLA from Uttar Pradesh Srikant Sharma has made a powerful comeback to the party’s central team. Sharma will be in-charge for Himachal along with current state co-in-charge Sanjay Tandon to continue. Himachal current in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna has been rested.
BJP general secretary Tarun Chug and currently in charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will continue to handle both the states.
In J-K, Chug will be assisted by Delhi BJP leader Ashish Sud who is currently also party co in-charge in the UT.
The big changes include a major role to Panda in UP; appointment of Bihar MLC Mangal Pandey as in-charge in West Bengal after resting BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya who has since become a minister in Madhya Pradesh.
Odisha charge has gone to MP Vijaypal Tomar and BJP national vice president Lata Usendi.
BJP general secretary Dushyant Gautam will handle Uttarakhand Lok Sabha strategy as party in-charge.
