NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s bid to overhaul its state leadership in Chhattisgarh after it was routed in last year’s Assembly elections appears to have stalled.
While the saffron party’s central leadership is keen to prop up a tribal leader to head the state unit, but the number of suitors lining up for the post seem to have left the party in the lurch.
Party chief Amit Shah, according to functionaries’ privy to discussions, is keen to find a tribal leader from the state to replace Dharamlal Kaushik, under whose leadership the saffron outfit faced last year’s defeat. Kaushik currently holds the Leader of the Opposition post as well.
“Kaushik is a close confidante of former state chief minister Raman Singh. Following his appointment as leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, the Central BJP leadership is keen to find his replacement from among the tribal leaders of the party. But there’s no consensus yet,” said a senior BJP functionary.
Former cabinet minister Ramvichar Netam and current minister Nanki Ram are the leading favourites in the race for the post. Party leaders note that it was not able to promote tribal leadership in any of the three states where it lost.