BJP makes organisational appointments ahead of 2019 elections, Gordhan Zadafia made UP in-charge

The BJP on Wednesday handed over the 2019 Lok Sabha election responsibility of crucial Uttar Pradesh to Gordhan Zadafia, a former Gujarat minister who had fallen out with Narendra Modi when he was the Chief Minister of the state, before making up in 2014.

Zadafia, a 64-year-old RSS veteran, was given the charge of UP as part of organisational changes effected by the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Considered close to sidelined BJP leader Sanjay Joshi, Zadafia had turned a Modi-critic after being dropped from the Gujarat Cabinet in 2002.

He had subsequently left the party and floated Maha Gujarat Janata Party which even contested polls against the BJP in 2007 but failed to make any dent.

Later, he merged his party with Gujarat Parivartan Party headed by another disgruntled BJP leader Keshubhai Patel and contested polls against the BJP, but again failing to make any impact.

In 2014, he returned to the BJP, which made him in-charge of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday along with the party's National Vice President Dushyant Kumar Gautam and Madhya Pradesh leader Narottam Mishra, for the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP also announced in-charge and co-in charge for 17 states and one union territory - Chandigarh, for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

For Andhra Pradesh, the party appointed Rajya Sabha member V Muraleedharan and party secretary Deodhar Rao to oversee the preparation of 2019 elections.

BJP general secretaries Bhupender Yadav and Anil Jain have been assigned Bihar and Chhattisgarh, respectively whereas OP Mathur has been made in-charge of Gujarat.

Minister in Uttar Pradesh government Swatantra Dev Singh and party leader Satish Upadhyaya have been bestowed with the responsibility of Madhya Pradesh.

Central cabinet minister Prakash Javadekar and party's official spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi have been made in-charge and co-incharge of Rajasthan.

BJP also appointed Minister in Haryana Government Captain Abhimanyu as in-charge of the both Chandigarh and Punjab for the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

The Lok Sabha polls are due by May next year.