Newly appointed State BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey is expected to take charge of his post on September 4. He is likely to be present with the five BJP candidates for the bypolls of the State legislative Council who will file their nomination papers on September 4.
“Pandey will reach lucknow on September 4, when he will take the charge,” said State BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak here on Friday. He said that the State president-designate would be visiting Varanasi on September 3, as per his earlier schedule and will reach lucknow from there.
“A meeting is being held in Varanasi as well as in lucknow on Friday to chalk out the welcome programme of the new BJP president,” Pathak said. A big welcome programme has also been planned in Varanasi on September 3, which will be his maiden visit to UP after becoming the state president. He will reach Varanasi on Sunday morning from New Delhi by a commercial flight.
Pandey is slated to reach lucknow either by road or train and during his entire route, the leader would be given rousing welcome at different place. Mahendra nath Pandey, 59, is the first time lok Sabha member from Chandauli seat of eastern UP. A two time MlA in 1991 and 1996, the new BJP president also held different posts in the state party organisation. He was also the general secretary of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) students union as ABVP representative.
A BJP leader said Rs Rs the new state president faces an uphill task of not only maintaining the performance of 2014 lok Sabha election but to improve the tally of seats in 2019 parliament elections. In 2014 BJP had won 71 seats and two seats were won by its ally Apna Dal.
Besides the 2019 lok Sabha, there is long list of challenges that awaits the new state president which requires his intervention and immediate solution. During the visit of the BJP president to lucknow in August, the party cadres lodged their protest that ministers were not paying due attention to the grievances of the people raised by them. Amit Shah had directed all the ministers to regularly meet the party workers and address the issues by them. The contentious issue is far from resolved and the new state president will have to do the tough task of striking a balance between the government and the organisation.
The state president will also have to address the long standing grievances of the party cadre that the district officials were ignoring them. This issue can be solved only with proper coordination of the party with the government and the administration.
The selection of the panel of lawyers as government counsels in the high court is another contentious issue. The Allahabad high court had taken a dim view of the lawyers appointed by the state government as government advocates, standing counsel in the high court. The appointment of lawyers was cancelled and fresh list is being prepared. The state president is expected to satisfy the warring groups within the party.
The distribution of tickets for the impending elections of the urban local bodies in November next is another issue which will strain the nerves of the new state president. Besides the intense tug of war within the BJP he will also have to accommodate the cadres of Hindu Yuva vahini, the outfit headed by the chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Elections of the cooperative bodies are yet another challenge before the new state president. BJP never had significant presence in the cooperative movement of UP and the Samajwadi party has traditionally dominated the politics of the cooperative sector.