The BJP in Uttar Pradesh is getting rid of its “tired and retired” office bearers who could not lead the party to victory in the state in the 2012 Assembly elections. Young blood is being infused in the party, with state party chief Laxmikanth Bajpai inducting new and younger people as functionaries. For the first time, 33 per cent of the functionaries in the state unit comprise women, keeping the increasing women voters in mind. The new line-up that is expected to lead the state unit of the party during 2014 parliamentary elections include Pankaj Singh as general secretary, Ashok Katheria as vice-president, Devendra Chauhan as general secretary, Gopal Tandon as vice-president, along with Nilima Katiyar, Daya Shankar Singh and Ashwani Tyagi as the secretaries. Besides Katiyar, young women leaders in the new list include Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Anupama Jaiswal, Nazira Hussain and Urmila Mishra. Kamlawati Singh is the new president of the Mahila Morcha.
Bajpai has shown the courage to get rid of senior leaders like Lajjarani, Vindhyawasini Kumar, Vinod Pandey, Narendra Singh Rana and Parashuram Kushwaha. But while overhauling the party apparatus in the state, Bajpai had to do the balancing act. Though he got in unknown faces, he also pleased the senior leaders by offering their sons and daughters important roles in the state unit. Pankaj Singh is the son of BJP National President Rajnath Singh; Gopal Tandon is the son of senior leader Lalji Tandon; Nilima Katiyar is the daughter of senior leader Premlata Katiyar. That helped him to avert any possible confrontation with the veterans. Moreover, Bajpai also ensured that no region of the state goes unrepresented. Besides, functionaries from backward castes have been brought to the forefront in the new set-up which otherwise remains dominated by people from the upper castes.
Reaction to the changes seems to be by-and-large positive. “Pankaj Singh has a very good following among the youth, mainly students of the universities and the degree colleges,” said party secretary Daya Shankar Singh. Pankaj, meanwhile, has been extensively touring the state to directly interact with the grassroot workers and has been spending substantial time at the district and village interactions. While all seems to be well, as BJP rebuilds itself in Uttar Pradesh, some of the changes have surprised many. The most unexpected decision was of the removal of Hriday Narain Dixit from the post of party’s chief spokesman and replacing him with controversial leaders like Vijay Pathak and Manoj Mishra. Similarly, elevation of Anup Gupta as secretary has shocked some, considering Gupta is Bajpai’s personal assistant. Senior leader Uma Bharti not finding a place in the new team has also surprised analysts.
The last Assembly election saw the party not even bagging 50 seats out of 403 seats. The party cadres were demoralised and it seemed that BJP had lost touch with the electoral realities. One has to wait and see whether the new team can resurrect the party in the state. With 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP’s national political fate depends on Uttar Pradesh. Bajpai and the team know it all too well.