BSP gets new Punjab chief in Jasbir Garhi

JALANDHAR: Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has appointed Jasbir Singh Garhi as the new Punjab president of the outfit. Garhi, 39, worked as a veterinary inspector in animal husbandry department till Friday, when he resigned in anticipation of BSP post.
Punjab party affairs in charge Randhir Beniwal announced his appointment on Monday saying that new appointment has been made with the direction of party supremo Mayawati. "He has been appointed as party supremo wanted to bring young leadership in the front row. Rest of the appointments of the state unit would be made in consultation with the new state president," he said.
Even as Beniwal claimed that Garhi was appointed on the basis of feedback from the state unit, it appears that central leadership had already zeroed in on his name as he had resigned from his government job a day before the process of consultations and feedback gathering started in Jalandhar on June 1. Sources in the party informed it was more an exercise of building consensus on his name.
Hailing from village Garhi Kannugo in Nawanshahr, Garhi worked with BAMCEF while in job and remained its district convener also.
Even as the party performed better in the recent elections, reversing the decade-old trend of losing vote share in every successive poll, Mayawati was not satisfied with the results and dissolved the state unit and decided to replace state president Rashpal Singh Raju.