New Delhi: In a signal to former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, the BJP high command on Saturday appointed her former associate and a Jat leader, Satish Punia, as the state unit chief. A sitting MLA from Amber Assembly seat and considered close to the RSS, Mr Punia belongs to the community, which is considered close to the Congress in the desert state.
The BJP also appointed its MP from Paschim Champaran, Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, as the Bihar unit chief. While Mr Punia succeeded Madan Lal Saini, who passed away earlier this year, Dr Jaiswal succeeded Mangal Pandey, who is now a minister. The party leadership also appointed Ajay Kumar as the general secretary (organisation) of its Uttarakhand unit. He succeeds Sanjay Kumar, who had to quit over a controversy.
Sources said Mr Punia’s name was one of the three sent by the state leadership and the BJP top brass found it appropriate to give the post to the Jat leader.
