In a major rejig, the BJP on Wednesday expanded its two key bodies, including the highest decision-making body - parliamentary board - by bringing in several new leaders representing different regions of the country and social backgrounds. However, what makes the change significant is dropping of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the board, and Shahnawaz Hussain from the central election committee.
In BJP's organisation structure, parliamentary board approves all the major decisions of the party. It is also an indication of the stature of the leaders within the party.
The party had 2024 elections in mind, given the diversity of the leaders who were picked. Among the inclusions in the body are Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who belongs to the tribal community. He had vacated the chief minister's chair for Himanta Biswa Sarma after the polls, on the party's insistence. He has been rewarded for his act. His inclusion also gives representation to the northeast.
Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who had made way for Basavaraj Bommai, too, has been included. His inclusion is an indication that he still holds sway in the party, and the organisation needed him ahead of the state elections next year.
Other inclusions are K. Laxman, party's OBC morcha chief and former Telangana party chief.
The state goes to poll in December 2023. An OBC leader Sudha Yadav from Haryana and veteran dalit leader Satyanarayan Jatiya, who was a minister and Madhya Pradesh state BJP chief, are the other new members of the BJP's apex body. Yadav was picked up by the party to contest Haryana elections after her husband was martyred in the Kargil War.
BJP's focus on Punjab and Sikh community is clear, as it has included Iqbal Singh Lalpura, the national minority commission chairman, in the body. He will be the first Sikh to have a seat in the body. Lalpura had unsuccessfully contested the last Punjab assembly elections. He is a former police officer credited with arresting separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and BJP president J.P. Nadda, B.L. Santosh, general secretary (organisation), continue to be members.
This is the first time the body has been rejiged since 2014. Several posts were vacant after the death of Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Ananth Kumar, and shifting out of former vice-president Venkaiah Naidu and former governor and dalit leader Thawar Chand Gehlot.
The second body to be reconstituted is the central election committee which selects party candidates for various elections. BJP has rewarded its young leaders by including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP Om Mathur and party women wing chief Vanathi Srinivasan, who belongs to Tamil Nadu.
Bhupender Yadav who has been a key strategist in several important elections for the party. Even Fadnavis was given responsibility in state elections like Bihar. The central election committee also has all parliamentary board members as part of the body. The key exclusion is that of former Union minister Shahnawaz Hussain, who was the minister in the Nitish Kumar government before the alliance broke. Tribal leader Jual Oram, too, has been dropped.
