Major Reshuffle in BJP As Kishan Reddy Becomes Party's T'gana Chief, Sunil Jakhar to Head Punjab Unit

In a major internal reshuffle, BJP’s G Kishan Reddy has been made the Telangana state party president, replacing Bandi Sanjay Kumar, while former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar will now head the Saffron party in the state.

In other changes, Babulal Marandi has been made Jharkhand BJP chief, while P Purandeswari will now lead the Andhra Pradesh party unit.

The appointments come ahead of Lok Sabha polls next year and these states– Punjab (13), Telangana (17), Andhra Pradesh (25), and Jharkhand (14)– send 69 lawmakers to the Lower House of Parliament. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will also go to Assembly polls within a year.

In a statement, the party announced that OBC leader Etela Rajender will take over as its election management committee chairperson in the poll-bound Telangana.

The development highlights the BJP’s emphasis to set its house in order in Telangana where many relatively new but powerful entrants to the party were against the leadership of Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s philosophical tweet on Tuesday saying “Some chapters in our lives have to close without closure” indicated that all was not well in the party which is aiming to clinch power in the poll-bound state.

“Some chapters in our lives have to close without closure. Keep me in your blessings, in case I have unintentionally hurt anyone during my tenure. I am happy that I am not a sad story but all of you have given me the most memorable moments – be it staying with me during arrests, standing by when attacked or laughing in moments of joy,” Sanjay said in his tweet after the announcement of Reddy’s appointment.

According to PTI sources, Kumar may be inducted as a minister in the central government in a reshuffle in the coming days. Jakhar replaces Ashwani Sharma while Marandi comes in the place of Deepak Prakash.

The rejig is significant in the primacy given to leaders who have joined the BJP from other parties. Jakhar and Rajender left the Congress and the BRS respectively to join the BJP.  Purandeswari was in Congress and a minister in the UPA government. The development will further fuel the speculation about a Cabinet rejig.

(With PTI inputs)