Chandigarh, May 26:With city BJP president Sanjay Tandon staying at the helm of the party for over nine long years and the Lok Sabha elections over now, appointment of new chief here is on the cards.
Tandon, who has completed three terms as the party president, which is rare in the BJP, is likely to be assigned responsibility in the national BJP team or his name may be sent for the Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana.
He was one of the contenders for the ticket for the Lok Sabha elections from the city in 2014 and 2019. The party, however, decided to field Kirron Kher on both occasions.
“This is to be decided by our national party president, may be after the oath-taking ceremony,” Dinesh Kumar, BJP’s Sangathan Mantri, told media.
With Tandon moving forward soon, there are a number of contenders for the president’s post in the party. Senior leaders are going to propose their loyalists’ name for the post.
It is being said MP Kirron Kher camp will root for former councillor Satinder Singh. Councillor Anil Dubey and ex-councillor Saurabh Joshi are also said to be the contenders. The Tandon group may press for councillors Vinod Agarwal, Ravi Kant Sharma or Shakti Devshali. The incumbent chief’s camp may also favour vice-president Ramvir Bhatti for the elevation.
Former Mayor and councillor Arun Sood is also one of the main contenders. Former MP Satya Pal Jain is proposing the name of former Mayor and councillor Davesh Moudgil, who is his closet aide.
“Names of five councillors, who voted against Rajesh Kalia during the mayoral polls, are with the Central leadership. They know who they are. So, such people should not have aspirations,” said a source in the BJP.
“The party is looking for a young leader, who could be less than 50-55 years. The president can be changed in two months. If not then, it will be done after the Haryana Assembly polls in October,” said a senior leader.
During Tandon’s tenure, his supporters say, the party has won two Lok Sabha polls other than the elections for the Municipal Corporation, Market Committee, Panchayat Samitis as well as Zila Parishad. However, his detractors blame him for growing infighting within the party when he was at the helm.
