Swatantra Dev Singh appointed Uttar Pradesh BJP president

Swatantra Dev Singh Singh is currently Transport Minister in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's cabinet.

File photo

Senior BJP leader Swatantra Dev Singh was on Tuesday appointed as president of Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP General Secretary Arun Singh released a letter confirming Singh's appointment as Uttar Pradesh BJP chief and said that he will take charge with immediate effect.

Swatantra Dev Singh appointed as President of Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party. pic.twitter.com/PqUNssh9Hs

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 16, 2019

Singh is currently Transport Minister in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's cabinet. Singh replaces incumbent UP BJP chief Dr Mangal Pandey who was appointed a Union minister in Modi 2.0 cabinet. He has been a two-time MLC from Uttar Pradesh. Singh was the incharge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies during 2017 Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.

He was also the incharge of 'Shakti Booth' during Gujarat Assembly election. Before the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Singh was appointed as the incharge of Madhya Pradesh.

Experts told Zee News by appointing Singh as the president of Uttar Pradesh BJP, the saffron party is trying to consolidate the OBC votebank in its favour because Singh belongs to Kurmi community. 

Singh belongs to Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh but he has earned name as a political leader by working in Bundelkhand region of the state. In 2012 Assembly election, Singh had contested from Orai assembly seat in Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh but he had failed to win the election.

Meanwhile, sources told Zee News that UP chief minister is soon going to reshuffle his cabinet and the portfolios of several ministers will be changed. It is expected that some new faces would also be inducted in Yogi Adityanath's cabinet and the responsibilities of some incumbent ministers will be curtailed.