Sanjay Saraogi appointed BJP’s Bihar unit president

Saraogi, 57, a former cabinet minister in the Bihar government, replaces the present incumbent Dilip Jaiswal, who took oath as industry minister in Nitish Kumar-led NDA government last month

The BJP on Monday appointed six-time MLA from Darbhanga, Sanjay Saraogi, as Bihar’s new president of the party. He assumed charge with immediate effect.

Sanjay Saraogi

Saraogi, 57, a former cabinet minister in the Bihar government, replaces the present incumbent Dilip Jaiswal, who took oath as industry minister in Nitish Kumar-led NDA government last month. Jaiswal served as president for about two years.

Jaiswal is understood to have been replaced in keeping with the BJP’s stated policy of “one person one post”.

“Bharatiya Janata Party national president Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed Sanjay Saraogi as the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar with immediate effect,” said a letter issued by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh.

Sanjay Saraogi, a prominent Vaishya face of the party, has been a MLA since February 2005 and is considered to have a strong hold on the Darbhanga urban seat. He was a minister in the previous NDA government and held crucial land and revenue portfolio. His appointment as state president is considered important for maintaining social balance and for electoral calculations

He served in various positions in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for 10 years. In 1999, he became the district secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and also held important positions such as the president of the Darbhanga Municipal Board of the BJP and the general secretary of the Darbhanga District BJP in 2003.

He is the convenor of the Bihar State BJP Cow Protection Cell and a member of the State Executive Committee and he is often known to adopt a hard-line stance on issues.