MLA Hemant Khandelwal takes charge as State BJP President

Newly-elected State BJP President Hemant Vijay Khandelwal being welcomed by outgoing chief V D Sharma. CM Dr Mohan Yadav and senior leader Satyanarayan Jatia were also present.

By Bhavana ‘Aparajita’ :

‘For last 100 years, my family has been raising flag against Congress’

Shukla On Wednesday, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan declared Betul MLA Hemant Vijay Khandelwal as the new State BJP head. He said that Khandelwal was the sole candidate to file his nomination papers on Tuesday for the post of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Madhya Pradesh unit chief. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had proposed Khandelwal’s name for the post of State head and announcement of his name was formally made by Dhramedra Pradhan. Signalling generation shift in the party, new President said in his address “For the last 100 years, my family has been raising its flag against the Congress.

How his grandfather had defeated the Congress in 1930 to form the ‘Gareeb Dal’ and became president of the Nagar Palika. His granduncle, G D Khandelwal, served as a minister in the constitutional government, while his father, Vijay Kumar Khandelwal, was a four-time Member of Parliament and held the post of BJP Treasurer for over a decade. “I do not claim any special qualification,” he said with humility. “I am an ordinary karyakarta. This is the Bharatiya Janata Party a party that assigns responsibility based on calibre and dedication.” Khandelwal, elected unopposed, addressed a packed gathering of party workers and senior leaders at the State headquarters in Bhopal. He further said “There is discipline in our party. Such big elections are held, and all the prominent people file the same nomination.

I challenge the Congress, if you can conduct even your ward elections with this level of unity, then we will respect you.” The event was attended by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Speaker, Madhya Pradesh Assembly Narendra Singh Tomar, Deputy Chief Ministers Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla. On this occasion, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav said, “This is not just a change in leadership, it is a reaffirmation of our values. Hemantji’s appointment reflects the BJP’s commitment to disciplined organisation and grassroots strength.” Outgoing State President and Khajuraho MP V D Sharma handed over the reins to Khandelwal. With both the Chief Minister and the new party president being sitting MLAs with strong RSS (Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh) backgrounds, the BJP in Madhya Pradesh is poised for tighter co-ordination between government and the organisation.