BJP brings Kailash Vijayavargiya as in-charge for Bengal unit

KOLKATA: BJP’s national leadership on Friday appointed Kailash Vijayavargiya as in-charge of the party's West Bengal unit. It made national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh, who was the state in-charge of the BJP, and Suresh Pujari co-in-charge of the unit.

These appointments come four days before party national chief Amit Shah's visit to Kolkata on July 7. Singh has been made in-charge of the Andhra Pradesh state unit.

BJP insiders in Bengal said a section of party leaders had lodged complaint with Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union minister who oversees party affairs in Bengal, against Singh for the BJP’s poor performance in the Bongaon Lok Sabha by-election and April's civic polls. These party leaders are also displeased with state party president Rahul Sinha, whose current term will end this October.

There has been pressure on the party's central leadership from some state leaders for the removal of Sinha before next year's assembly election. Friday's reshuffle is likely to encourage those Bengal BJP leaders.