In a significant move gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced the appointment of election in-charges and co-in-charges for 23 states and Union territories. The strategic placements include Bihar, where the BJP eyes a return to power in alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United).
BJP President JP Nadda has appointed Baijayant Panda, popularly known as “Jay” Panda, as the election in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, a state sending the maximum of 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha. Panda, the party’s national vice-president and a former lawmaker, is also the state in-charge of Delhi and Assam.
The move is seen as a boost for Panda, who joined the BJP in 2019, especially in the wake of the recent inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The BJP is optimistic about increasing its tally in Uttar Pradesh, where it faces formidable competition from a coalition of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, along with the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
In Bihar, amidst political turmoil and indications of Nitish Kumar aligning with the BJP, the party has appointed Vinod Tawde as the election in-charge, with Rajya Sabha member Deepak Prakash as the co-in-charge.
Other notable appointments include former Union minister Prakash Javadekar as the election in-charge for Kerala, and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani as the election in-charge of Punjab and Chandigarh.
These strategic appointments demonstrate the BJP’s focused preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, signaling a keen interest in key battleground states across the country.