GG News Bureau
Patna, 25th Sept: The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its in-charge for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, a key test of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA’s ability to withstand opposition attacks and the state’s complex caste arithmetic.
Pradhan will be assisted by two co in-charges — Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya — as the BJP readies for a high-stakes contest in which all 243 seats of the Bihar Legislative Assembly will be up for grabs.
The Election Commission is expected to announce poll dates next month. The BJP’s campaign will showcase Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s governance record against the opposition’s pitch for social justice led by Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav. Political observers also point to the potential influence of election strategist Prashant Kishor’s fledgling Jan Suraaj party.
The BJP has simultaneously unveiled its leadership picks for other key states: Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav will spearhead the campaign in West Bengal with Tripura MP Biplab Deb as co in-charge, while Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda will handle Tamil Nadu, where the party hopes to challenge the entrenched Dravidian parties.
With Bihar shaping up as one of the most closely watched electoral battles of the year, the BJP is betting on Pradhan’s organisational skills and cross-state experience to galvanise the NDA base and counter the opposition’s call for change.
