Eyeing the substantial Dalit votes in Punjab ahead of the Assembly polls, the BJP on Friday appointed Union Minister Vijay Sampla, the party’s Dalit face from Punjab as State unit chief.
The BJP has banked on the 56-year-old Sampla, who comes from a humble background and risen in the party over the years, to consolidate Dalit voters in the State which goes to the polls early next year and where the community constitute over 33 per cent of voters.
With the AAP emerging as a strong force in the state and the SAD-BJP Government facing an anti-incumbency wave, the party leadership believes that his appointment would help them in the elections.
He will take over from Kamal Sharma.
Sampla, a first-time MP from the Hoshiarpur reserved seat, belongs to the Ravidassia community among Dalits.
Inducted in the Narendra Modi central government in November 2014 as a minister of state, Sampla, has had a laborious past — having worked as a farm porter and doing other labour jobs in Punjab and in Saudi Arabia.
“I have worked in fields, done ‘palledari’ (worked as a porter on a farm) and was in Saudi Arabia for 11 years where I did labour (jobs). I worked as an assistant to a plumber and a mason. I became a plumber, technician and electrician,” Sampla said earlier after being inducted in the union Government.
Sampla started attending Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh meetings and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1998.
Punjab’s Dalit population is the highest among states to the total population. Polling to the State’s 117-member assembly seats is scheduled in February next year.
As a grass root leader, Vijay Sampla has frantically worked for the betterment of the downtrodden and the socially backward community. His life epitomises struggled, grit and fulfilment in the face of adversity.
He worked hard a labourer in his initial days to make both ends meet. His experience and journey from a labourer to a Union Minister and now the state president BJP will be an inspiration for all, the party said Friday.
Sampla, the first Dalit to be the Punjab BJP chief, has a vast multifarious experience.
He has been Chairman Punjab State Forest Development Corp (2013-2014), Chairman Punjab State Khadi and Village Industry Board (2008 to 2012), State vice President, BJP Punjab (2013-14), State Vice President BJP Punjab (2007-2011), State Gen-Sec BJP Punjab(2003-2007), State Vice President BJP Punjab(2002-2003), State President BJP- SC Morcha (2001-2002), Mandal President Jalandhar Cantt Rural (1999-2001) and Mandal Gen-Sec Jalandhar Cantt Rural (1999-2001) and a Sarpanch of Village — Sofi Pind, Jalandhar Cantt (1998-2003)
National Vice President BJP Avinash Rai Khanna, Former Minister & MlA Manoranjan Kalia, former State President & MlA Ashwani Sharma, Chairman Khadi Board Harjit Singh Grewal and Asst Media Adviser Vineet Joshi thanked National President BJP for appointing grass root leader as State president BJP Punjab.