New Delhi: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy has been appointed as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana unit, putting all speculation to rest. Etela Rajender has been made the chairperson of the BJP's election management committee in Telangana.

In Punjab, Sunil Jakhar will take over as the party chief, and Babulal Marandi will be the BJP president in Jharkhand. Former Lok Sabha MP D. Purandeswari has been made the president of the Andhra Pradesh BJP unit. Former AP chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy will become part of the party’s National Executive Committee,

The change of guard assumes significance in Telangana, which will go to Assembly polls in December this year. Kishan Reddy will replace Bandi Sanjay Kumar, whose term as the party chief has been marked by infighting and tussle over leadership. Under his leadership, the party has tried to position itself as the principal opposition to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), pushing Congress behind in the state. It is being speculated that Sanjay Kumar, an MP from Karimnagar, could find a spot in the Union Cabinet.

However, there is no clarity yet on whether Kishan Reddy, who is now Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeast Region Development, will continue to remain as a minister. Kishan Reddy has served as BJP party president twice, between 2010 and 2014 in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh and also in 2014 and 2016 as Telangana BJP President. The state of Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

According to party insiders, more changes are in the offing in more states as the party prepares for the 2024 General Election. The BJP has called a meeting of all the state presidents, state general secretaries, and state in charges on July 7. BJP president J.P. Nadda and National General Secretary B.L. Santosh will preside over this meeting, NDTV reported.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.