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MP Sanjay Jaiswal is Bihar BJP chief, Satish Punia gets Rajasthan

NEW DELHI:The BJP on Saturday appointed Lok Sabha member Sanjay Jaiswal and MLA Satish Punia as its state unit president in Bihar and Rajasthan, respectively, a partystatement said.

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New Delhi, September 14 

The BJP on Saturday appointed Lok Sabha member Sanjay Jaiswal and MLA Satish Punia as its state unit president in Bihar and Rajasthan, respectively, a party statement said.

Jaiswal, who has been winning from Paschim Champaran constituency on the trot since 2009, is seen as an ideological moderate who enjoys a non-controversial image.

A vocal section of the state BJP has often targeted its ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has at times taken a stand opposite to that of the saffron party on a host of issues, including nullifying Article 370 and the citizenship bill, underlining the unease in their alliance.

Political watchers believe Jaiswal may help the BJP bring some harmony in its uneven tie-up with Kumar’s JD(U). The state is set to go for assembly elections later next year.

Jaiswal replaces Nityanand Rai, a Minister of State in the Union Government, as head of the BJP’s Bihar unit.

Meanwhile, Punia, a seasoned organisation man, has been appointed chief of Rajasthan months after the death of state party chief Madan Lal Saini.  Hailing from Churu’s Rajgarh, Punia, 55, is MLA from Amber constituency of Jaipur district and hails from the Jat community, a politically influential group in the state which has not been traditional BJP voter but had backed it in the recent Lok Sabha poll in good numbers.

Poonia is close to Pradesh Sangathan Mantri Chandra Shekhar. His presence as state party president would not be comfortable for former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje as the Civic Bodies and Panchayati Raj elections are slated later this year and Poonia would be a key person to decide and select contestants. 

BJP President Amit Shah had effected Poonia’s appointment order, party’s national general secretary and headquarters in charge Arun Singh said. 

“BJP will work for the security of farmers and young (jobless) who have been ditched by the ruling Congress government in the state. Congress has failed to deliver what it promised in its manifesto, including crop loan waiver and jobs to unemployed youths, in 9 months of its rule so far,” Poonia said after his appointment.

“We will fight for public welfare inside the Assembly and on the roads”, Poonia, who was till now the spokesman of the party too, claimed. He was also Pradesh Mahmantri for 14 years in the state.

A BJP statement said the party has also appointed Ajay Kumar as general secretary in charge of its organisation in Uttarakhand. — OC/ PTI

Non-controversial leader 

Jaiswal is seen as an ideological moderate who enjoys a non-controversial image. Political watchers believe Jaiswal may help the BJP bring some harmony in its uneven tie-up with Kumar’s JD(U). The state is set to go for assembly elections later next year

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