LUCKNOW: Daya Shankar Singh, who had stirred a major controversy when he targeted Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati with derogatory and sexist remarks, has made a comeback to the BJP.
He is among the 15 state vice-presidents in BJP Uttar Pradesh chief Mahendra Nath Pandey’s new team.
Mr. Singh, who hails from Ballia, was expelled from the party in July 2016 after he was caught on camera using the prostitute analogy for Ms. Mayawati. He was then a newly-nominated state vice-president of the BJP.
However, a day after the Assembly election results were declared in March last year, the BJP reinstated him, in what was a clear snub to Ms. Mayawati.
Adding insult to injury, the BJP then elevated the Thakur leader’s wife Swati Singh, who was nominated as state women’s wing chief soon after her husband’s expulsion, as a minister in the Yogi Adityanath council of ministers.
Commenting on Mr. Singh's return as vice-president, BJP spokesperson Chandramohan said the controversy was a matter of the past. “That issue is over, it was over the day the results were declared. There is no case against him. Daya Shankarji was picked for his capabilities and experience in the party as a senior worker,” Mr. Chandramohan said.
Apart from Mr. Daya Shankar Singh, the fresh list of BJP state vice-presidents includes former Union Minister and Muzaffarnagar riots accused Sanjeev Balyan, old RSS hand from Varanasi Laxman Acharya, Dalit leader from Meerut Kanta Kardam, two-time MLA from Dadri Nawab Singh Nagar, and Lucknow-based businessman Sudhir Halwasiya.
Sunil Bansal, who is BJP chief Amit Shah’s man in Lucknow, continues as the organisation secretary and is expected to play a major role as the party prepares for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
The BJP also announced the names of six state general secretaries, including Union Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh, who retains his spot, and 16 secretaries.
The reshuffle in the BJP team comes days after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held coordination meetings with party MPs and MLAs from all 80 Lok Sabha constituencies to discuss development programmes, chalk out strategy for 2019 and resolve disputes between local elected representatives.
