By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 27 Jan: BJP High Command has appointed various senior party leaders in charge of party affairs in various states across the country. In Uttarakhand, however, Party’s National General Secretary and former MP Dushyant Kumar Gautam has been retained as the leader in-charge of the party affairs in Uttarakhand.
Sources claimed that the party High Command appeared to be happy and satisfied with the party’s performance in various elections held in the state and also by the fact that there is no apparent factionalism within the party at present and in view of this, Gautam has been retained as the leader in charge of Uttarakhand affairs. However, his co-in charge of the party affairs in Uttarakhand Rekha Verma has not been retained in Uttarakhand.
Retention of Gautam as leader in charge of the party affairs is a big political decision which indicates that the party high command appears to be confident of performing well in Uttarakhand in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.
It may be recalled that on Saturday, Party’s National General Secretary Arun Singh has released the list of leaders appointed in charge of the party affairs in various states. Few leaders have been retained and Gautam is one among them. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Baijayant Panda has been appointed as leader in-charge. It may be recalled that Panda had joined the party before the 2019 elections after quitting BJD in Odisha and despite losing his own election has continued to work hard to get confidence of the party to be appointed as leader in charge of the party affairs in UP which is the most crucial state for the BJP in the upcoming Parliamentary Elections.
It may also be recalled that a few days ago, 33 prominent party stalwarts had gathered in Dehradun to brainstorm the strategy to get 75 per cent votes in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand. In the meeting, every leader was told his action plan in view of the Lok Sabha elections. BJP‘s national vice president Laxmikant Vajpayee and state in-charge Dushyant Gautam had reached the meeting from the Centre.
The central leadership had given a roadmap in this regard. Suggestions were given on how this roadmap can be made more effective as per the circumstances of Uttarakhand. In the meeting, the migration programmes of central and provincial leaders for the Lok Sabha elections, programmes related to the beneficiaries of welfare schemes of the central and state government up to the booth level, plans to take the schemes related to different sections of the society to the people were also discussed. It appears that Gautam, who is among the most trusted confidante of the party high command and also currently a national general secretary of the party continues to enjoy full support of the top leadership of the party. BJP is hoping to retain all the five Lok Sabha seats from the state for the third straight time.
