In a significant rejig of its leadership, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Anil Antony and Tariq Mansoor as vice presidents. The decision was announced on Saturday and marks a notable development for the party. Additionally, Bandi Sanjay, the former president of the Telangana state unit, has been appointed as the national general secretary, while Radha Mohan Agarwal, a prominent lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh, also assumes the role of national general secretary.
The new list unveiled by the BJP comprises 13 vice presidents, nine general secretaries, and 13 secretaries. Notably, BL Santhosh retains his position as the in-charge of organization, continuing as the national general secretary. Shiv Prakash also remains as the joint general secretary.
Anil Antony, son of the respected Congress leader AK Antony, crossed party lines and joined the BJP in April of the current year. His entry into the party was officially confirmed in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal. Prior to this, in January, Anil Antony had parted ways with the Congress party following his criticism of the party over the BBC raids. His departure came amid the controversy surrounding BBC’s documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tariq Mansoor, the former vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has also been appointed as one of the vice presidents. Earlier this year, Mansoor resigned from his position at AMU after being nominated as a member of the UP Legislative Council. The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh had forwarded six names, including Mansoor’s, to the governor for nomination as members of the legislative council of the state. This latest decision to assign Mansoor a new role is seen as part of the party’s outreach to the Pasmanda Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.
The recent appointments have brought about changes in the party’s leadership. Notably, several leaders, including CT Ravi from Karnataka, Dilip Saikia, a Lok Sabha MP from Assam, and Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh, have been dropped as general secretaries. Reports suggest that they may be considering contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Former Union minister Radha Mohan Singh, who had been serving as a party vice-president, was also dropped from his position in the latest reshuffle.
The BJP’s move to reorganize its leadership comes as the party gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. With the inclusion of new faces and experienced leaders in key roles, the BJP aims to strengthen its organizational structure and strategize for the upcoming political challenges.
Sources By Agencies
