Laxman picks Modi for second-most important job in BJP

Laxman picks Modi for second-most important job in BJP
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, NOV 3: In an apparent move to woo Backward classes, BJP chief Bangaru Laxman, himself a Dalit, has appointed Narendra Modi, belonging to one of the most backward castes in Gujarat, as general secretary in-charge of organisation, the second-most important job in the BJP after party presidentship.

Bangaru's predecessor Kushabhau Thakre had not appointed anyone as organisation secretary during his two-year tenure, preferring to handle the job himself. Before him, the party organisation was being looked after by the then vice-president, Sunder Singh Bhandari.

A relatively young leader, Modi at 50 has been the spokesman of the party besides being in-charge of Himachal Pradesh. He is also the senior-most general secretary in the party after M. Venkaiah Naidu had to resign before taking over a post in the A.B. Vajpayee Cabinet.

But Modi might not have full powers as vice-presidents Jana Krishnamurthy and Pyare Lal Khandelwal too have been given additional charge of organisational work in the party. Khandelwal will look after party affairs in the politically turbulent state of Uttar Pradesh while Krishnamurthy, besides being spokesperson and in-charge of party headquarters, will take care of the BJP's work in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Senior BJP leader V.K. Malhotra and Kailashpati Mishra have been retained as in-charge of Delhi and Bihar respectively. First-time general secretary Sunil Shastri has been entrusted with the party's affairs in Assam, going to polls next year, while former Delhi chief ministers Madan Lal Khurana and Sahib Singh Verma have been made in-charge of West Bengal-Sikkim and Rajasthan respectively.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will take care of the politically sensitive state of Jharkhand while Maya Singh takes over charge of Chhattisgarh afairs. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kailash Joshi will oversee the third newly-created state of Uttaranchal.

The fact that Bangaru had to entrust state charge to half a dozen persons who are not in his team of office-bearers reflects the lack of experience of the latter.

Madhya Pradesh is the only state where no specific person has been nominated to be in-charge. Vice-president S.P. Gautam will continue to look after Goa while former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde has been given charge of Karnataka.

Party secretary Padmanabha Acharya has been entrusted with the charge of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland; treasurer Ved Prakash Goyal of Kerala and Lakshadweep; vice-president Ramdas Agarwal of Haryana and Chandigarh; Bapu Apte of Orissa; V. Ramarao of Tamil Nadu; K.N. Lakshmanan of Andaman and Nicobar and Pondicherry; O.P. Kohli of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab; Kabindra Purakayastha of Tripura; and Ashwini Kumar of Andhra Pradesh.