New Delhi, May 19: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's close confidant and BJP General Secretary Amit Shah was today appointed in charge of politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.
In a list of state in-charges, convenors and in charge of its various fronts announced today, BJP appointed its Andhra Pradesh strongman Bandaru Dattatray as one of its Vice Presidents. He has also been made the in charge of Kerala. Dattatray was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
Shah, know for his organisational skills, will be in charge of UP which has 80 Lok Sabha seats. If BJP wants to return to power at the Centre, it will have to concentrate on Uttar Pradesh.
Party leader Ananth Kumar has been moved out Bihar and made in charge of Madhya Pradesh which will go for assembly elections in the next few months.
BJP's Rajya Sabha member J P Nadda has been appointed in charge of Chhattisgarh which will also go for assembly polls shortly.
Former Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ramapati Ram Tripathi, considered close to party President Rajnath Singh, has been made in charge of Jharkhand.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who was recently elevated as General Secretary, has been appointed in charge of crucial Maharashtra where Congress and NCP are in power for the past several years.
Rajasthan, which also goes for assembly polls, got a new party in charge in Captan Singh.
Varun Gandhi, who was recently mired in a controversy over hate speeches in Uttar Pradesh, has been appointed in charge of West Bengal where Trinamool Congress is in power. Actor-turned MP Smiriti Irani will be the in charge of Goa while another party leader S S Ahluwalia will be in charge of Assam.
Party president Rajnath Singh later said there was no particular reason behind appointment of Amit Shah as UP in-charge. “He has been a successful minister in Gujarat, and Narendra Modi did not recommend anybody's name. He (Shah) has a great record in managing elections in Gujarat.”
