NEW DELHI: Continuation of two senior functionaries of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi — Kuljeet Singh Chahal and Rajiv Babbar as general secretary and vice president of the unit respectively has stumped several party leaders. In the recent rejig, both the leaders have managed to retain their positions despite opposition by a section of workers in the Delhi BJP.
Former east Delhi mayor Harshdeep Malhotra and ex-chief of Purvanchal Morcha Dinesh Pratap Singh have replaced the two other general secretaries, Rajesh Bhatia and Ravinder Gupta. Chahal’s detractors were certain of his exit as apparently top leadership in the city including president Adesh Kumar Gupta were not in favour of retaining him in the new team of office-bearers, which was announced on Thursday.
“With no big names in the list of office-bearers of Delhi BJP, Chahal and Babbar have emerged as stronger leaders and also the new face of frontline leadership. Chahal was given major responsibilities in the last three and a half years including a membership drive launched last year and a recent campaign educating farmers about the new agriculture reform laws.
Babbar successfully supervised ‘feed the needy’ initiated by the party during lockdown to provide cooked meals or rations to city residents,” said a former office-bearer of the Delhi BJP. Different posts have been conferred on Chahal over the last six-years.
He was appointed as vice president of Delhi BJP in July 2014. Chahal was also one of three general secretaries, when Bhojpuri actor turned politician Manoj Tiwari became the head of the unit in November 2016. The BJP leaders in Delhi, who have worked closely with Chahal, termed him as ‘master administrator’. “Chahal is a fighter and never retreats. Despite Gupta’s close aides working overtime to ensure his departure, he didn’t lose confidence. Babbar always avoids confrontation, is mindful and doesn’t nitpick,” said the leader.