In an attempt to recreate its magic in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday appointed Union Ministers JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal and Nirmala Sitharaman as election in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi respectively. The fresh appointments come days after the party made similar appointments for 17 states.
Former minister Kalraj Mishra has been appointed election-in charge for Haryana, Avinash Rai Khanna has been roped in for Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir but the party may appoint more senior leaders as in-charge for these states, sources told PTI.
Party sources also clarified that Gordhan Zadaphia, a Gujarat leader who was a critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before returning to the BJP, would be one of the six co-in charges for the state, adding that a big state like UP needs several co-in charges.
It was earlier reported that Zadaphia would be the Uttar Pradesh in-charge. So far, the BJP has appointed three co-in charges for the state.
A BJP statement said Nadda, who enjoys the trust of Modi and party president Amit Shah, will be overall in-charge for the state that sends 80 members, more than any other state, to the Lok Sabha.
Goyal has been given the responsibility for Puducherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
BJP general secretary Muralidhar Rao will be the Lok Sabha election in-charge for Karnataka, the statement said.
(With PTI inputs)
