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Jatinder Pal Malhotra is Chandigarh BJP chief
The move comes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, for which the party had already hinted at changing state presidents in different parts of the country
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday appointed Jatinder Pal Malhotra, 58, as its Chandigarh unit president, replacing Arun Sood.
The move comes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, for which the party had already hinted at changing state presidents in different parts of the country.
Malhotra, who is from the Sanjay Tandon camp and backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has been appointed by BJP national president JP Nadda for a period of three years.
A food processing consultant and resident of Sector 21, Malhotra had unsuccessfully contested the 2011 civic body elections from the sector. He had lost to late Congress candidate Mukesh Bassi.
He has a postgraduate degree in Public Administration from Panjab University.
Speaking to HT, Malhotra said, “Our main focus will be the 2024 parliamentary elections. I will make sure to take the development of the city to the next level.”
Former BJP chief Sanjay Tandon conveyed his best wishes to the newly appointed president. “Even Sood did good work and I am sure his services will be sought by the party in the future as well,” said Tandon.
When asked why Sood, whose three-year tenure had ended on January 17 this year, was not given an extension, former BJP councillor and staunch RSS activist, Satinder Singh, there was resentment in the cadre against him.
Tandon has had the longest tenure as the city BJP chief, serving on the post from January 18, 2010, to January 17, 2020.
MP Kirron Kher and Satya Pal Jain, who are in the same camp, were hoping to put up their own candidate on the post while the Tandon camp was pushing for Malhotra.
