New BJP state chiefs in Delhi, Rajasthan, Bihar, Odisha | The politics behind appointments

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appointed party chiefs for four states — Rajasthan, Odisha, Delhi and Bihar — on Thursday. The move came as the party is upping its ante to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Lok Sabha MP from Chittorgarh CP Joshi was appointed as the new Rajashtan BJP president of Rajasthan. Virender Sachdeva was chosen as Delhi BJP chief. Member of Bihar Legislative Council Samrat Chowdhary is the new State President of Bihar, while former Odisha minister Manmohal Samal was appointed the new state president of the party.

Samrat Chaudhary in Bihar: Chaudhary has become an influencial leader from the Kushwaha community. He is the son of well-known Kushwaha leader Shakuni Chaudhary. He is the leader of the party in the Bihar legislative council His appointment came after the defection of Upendra Kushwaha, an important leader of the same caste, from the Nitish camp.

CP Joshi in Rajasthan: A Brahmin face, Joshi is a second time MP from Chittorgarh Lok Sabha seat. He has replaced Satish Punia who has been at odds with former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje. Raje remains the BJP's most formidable leader in the state. The BJP's central leadership has had its reservations with her but there have been indications that equations have improved between them. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are due this year.

Virender Sachdeva in Delhi: Sachdeva’s appointment seems to be an "attempt by the party to consolidate its once-formidable base among Punjabis", the Times of India reported. Sachdeva, who had also served as the Delhi BJP vice-president, "is regarded as people’s politician with easy accessibility and availability for people to on all issues," the New Indian Express reported.

"He is low-key and out and out organisational person who has been able to infuse a sense of cohesion in the state unit often pulled in different directions by local heavyweights," BJP sources were quoted by PTI as saying.

Manmohal Samal in Odisha: Samal, a former MP, is one of the better known BJP faces from Odisha and is seen to bring more heft than his predecessor Samir Mohanty, political watchers were quoted by PTI as saying. He is aggressive and his politics bears a distinct Hindutva mark, they added. He had headed the state BJP earlier as well.

The key appointment came just ahead of the Lok Sabha election slated for 2024.