BJP appoints election in-charge in poll-bound states

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Friday appointed Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prakash Javadekar as the party's election in-charges for Haryana and Delhi respectively.

He also appointed Bhupendra Yadav and Om Prakash Mathur as the election in-charges of Maharashtra and Jharkhand, read a statement.

These leaders would be playing an important role in the party organization during the election time.

Elections are due in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Haryana this year while Delhi will go to polls in January next year.

Tomar, the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister will be assisted by party national secretary Bhupendra Singh. Tomar has been a key figure in the Narendra Modi government and was Parliamentary Affair Minister earlier.

Haryana is ruled by BJP under Manohar Lal Khattar. In last Assembly polls, the BJP swept the elections dethroning Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government.

In 2014, the BJP won Assembly elections with absolute majority for the first time. The BJP, which only had four MLAs won 47 seats in the 90-member Assembly.

In Delhi, where Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in power, Javdekar will be assisted by two union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Nityanand Rai. Their appointments are seen as party's efforts to woo Punjabis and Poorvanchalis, whose presence are significant in numbers.

AAP won 67 of 70 seats of Delhi in last Assembly polls while the BJP could manage only three seats. Congress failed to win ven a single seat.

In another appointment, the BJP made Bhupendra Yadav as in-charge of Maharashtra.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and former Karnataka MLA Laxman Sabhi have been appointed as co-in charge to assist Yadav.

In 2014 Assembly polls in Maharashtra, BJP won 122 out of 288 assembly seats. Shiv Sena won on 63 constituencies and Congress and NCP managed to get 42 and 21 seats.

Om Mathur will look into the affairs of Jharkhand where Raghubar Das is the Chief Minister. He is the first Chief Minister of the state completing his term.

In Jharkhand, the BJP is in alliance with former Minister Sudesh Mahato's All Jharkhand Students Union. The Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha of Shibu Soren are in alliance.

Bihar Minister and senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav has been appointed co-incharge for Jharkhand under Mathur.