BJP appoints Swatantra Dev Singh its UP chief

New Delhi: Swatantra Dev Singh, an OBC leader, was appointed the BJP's Uttar Pradesh president on Tuesday. He was appointed as the BJP's Uttar Pradesh president replacing Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey. Pandey was inducted in the Union Cabinet, necessitating a change of guard in the state. Swatantra Dev Singh's appointment is seen as part of the BJP's effort to consolidate its support among the OBCs, who strongly backed it in the state Assembly and recent Lok Sabha polls.

Recently, a day after BJP General Secretary (organization) Ramlal was moved back to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), party President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah elevated joint General Secretary (organization) B.L. Santosh to the post. After a stint of 13 years, Ramlal was moved back to the party's parent organization on Saturday. The General Secretary's post is considered to be the second most powerful position in the BJP after its President. In a statement issued, the BJP said that Santosh has been appointed the party's General Secretary with immediate effect. Santosh, an RSS pracharak and a specialist on Karnataka, is considered a strong ideologue with vast experience in electoral politics. He hails from Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka.