Punjab BJP set for major rejig

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab is set for a major rejig in next two weeks with the party to adjust senior leaders from Congress and other parties who have recently joined the saffron fold

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab is set for a major rejig in next two weeks with the party to adjust senior leaders from Congress and other parties who have recently joined the saffron fold.

As per the information gathered from the BJP high command, the reshuffle will witness the party to likely expand its ambit by adjusting key former Congress leaders on organisational posts. (PTI)

As per the information gathered from the BJP high command, the reshuffle will witness the party to likely expand its ambit by adjusting key former Congress leaders on organisational posts.

Whereas, the present state BJP Chief and Pathankot MLA Ashwani Sharma is likely to continue as State BJP chief as the party doesn’t feel any reason to change him at this stage, his entire team at present would get new faces, a senior leader confirmed.

The major change is likely to happen among the general secretaries and the vice presidents, keeping in mind the caste and religious combinations, and the balance between old guards of the party and the newcomers, said a BJP leader, who is holding the key post in the national team. The party is likely to give prominence to the Sikh faces who have jumped into the saffron fold from the other parties, he added. Notably, during Prime Minister’s visit to Mullanpur to inaugurate Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre last month, the BJP has organised Modi’s meeting with leaders from other parties who have recently joined the BJP.

At present, Punjab BJP has five vice presidents and five general secretaries, who all are the homegrown faces of the party. The reshuffle in the state team is being done by the party keeping in mind the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls for which the BJP has pinned high hopes from Punjab. “Since at least four former Congress ministers and few ex-MLAs had already switched to BJP after the 2022 Assembly Polls, it is very important to involve them in the BJP culture and assign them the organisational duties. For us upcoming Lok Sabha polls are the top priority,” a senior leader confirmed. It is learnt that a formula is being worked out by the party to strike a balance among all factors. When contacted state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said the party is expanding quite fast in Punjab and any decision regarding how to strengthen has to be taken by the high command at the appropriate time.