With State Legislative Assembly polls imminent in five states, Bharatiya Janata Party announced the appointments for election in-charges for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa on Wednesday, 8 September.
Uttar Pradesh
The BJP National President JP Nadda appointed Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to preside over the party's strategy and campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
Further, the party also announced its in-charges for six regions in UP. Nadda appointed Sanjay Bhatia as the in-charge for UP West; for Braj, it was Sanjeev Chaurasia; Y Satya Kumar for Awadh; Sudhir Gupta in Kanpur; Arvind Menon in Gorakhpur and in Kashi, Sunil Ojha was appointed as the election in-charge.
The co-incharges in the state include: Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, Ministers of State Arjun Ram Meghwal, Shoba Karandlaje and Annpurna Devi, Rajya Sabha MPs Saroj Pande and Vivek Thakur, and Haryana Minister Capt Abhimanyu.
Punjab
From Punjab, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was appointed as the election in-charge. Shekhawat will be assisted by Union ministers Hardip Puri, Meenakshi Lekhi and Lok Sabha MP Vinod Chawda.
The BJP is currently facing the public's ire over its three agricultural laws – 'kaale kanoon' (black laws) – in the state.
The Narendra Modi-led party has also suffered a setback in the state as its oldest ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, quit the NDA coalition over the farmers' protest against the laws.
Uttarakhand
In Uttarakhand, Nadda appointed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi to look over the party's electoral campaign.
Lok Sabha MP Locket Chatterjee and party spokesperson R P Singh have been appointed as the co-incharges in the state.
Manipur
Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav was picked as the in-charge from Manipur, with Union ministers Pratima Bhaumik and Assam minister Ashok Singhal being appointed as sub in-charges in the state.
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