BJP Appoints Party Unit Chiefs Of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Punjab

NEW DELHI, Jul 4: The Bharatiya Janata Party on July 4 appointed four State unit chiefs — Daggubati Purandeswari as Andhra Pradesh BJP chief, G. Kishan Reddy as State president of party's Telangana unit, Babulal Marandi as Jharkhand BJP chief and Sunil Jakhar as Punjab unit chief.
In a statement, BJP national president J.P. Nadda also appointed Etela Rajender, MLA and ex-Minister of Telangana, as Chairman of Election Management Committee of Telangana BJP for the upcoming Assembly elections. 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. Sources said Mr. Kumar may be inducted as a Minister in the Central Government in a reshuffle in the coming days.
Mr. Jakhar replaces Ahwani Sharma while Mr. 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. Mr. Jakhar and Mr. Rajender left the Congress and the BRS respectively to join the BJP. Ms. Purandeswari was in Congress and a Minister in the UPA Government. The development will further fuel the speculation about a Cabinet rejig.