With the appointment of new chiefs in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party has virtually set the stage for a reshuffle in the Union Cabinet as the BJP looks to dispatch central ministers to states to get battle-ready for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 and the Assembly elections in key states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
The appointment of G Kishan Reddy as the chief of the BJP’s Telangana unit, where Assembly polls are due later this year, is an indication to that effect. The party may now look at making similar appointments in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir.
Also Read: Uniform Civil Code: Modi’s push drives a wedge between ‘united’ Opposition
Apart from Reddy, the party announced the appointment of former Union minister D Purandeswari as Andhra BJP chief and placed former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi at the helm of its Jharkhand unit.
Former Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, who joined the BJP last year, will be its chief in Punjab. The party also named OBC leader Etela Rajender as the chairperson of its election management committee in Telangana.
Also Read: Indian diaspora on his side, PM’s US visit to shore up votes for Lok Sabha elections
The developments come amid speculations of a major reshuffle in the Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the party prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls.
“The government’s role in the election is limited but the organisation has to be fully active,” The Indian Express quoted a BJP leader as saying. The leader added that the new appointments are aimed at “minimising possible losses” and maximising gains for the Lok Sabha elections.
“Some appointments could have been done looking at the future as the central leadership wants to bring up new leaders even in BJP-ruled states,” he said.