Uttar Pradesh's BJP team likely to get new VPs and regional heads

LUCKNOW: The new team of Uttar Pradesh BJP is likely to be announced anytime now after it receives the go ahead from the party's central leadership following last-minute omissions and inclusions.
According to sources in the UP BJP, the changes could be limited to 12-15 posts.
Besides these changes, regional BJP heads of not less than four regions could also be changed, sources said, adding that most of them would be those who have completed more than four years in office.
This makes the race for the post of general secretary interesting as only one post will fall vacant after the resignation of cooperative minister JPS Rathore in keeping with the party's principle of 'one person, one post'.
However, there will be at least three new vice-presidents. Transport minister Dayashankar Singh, and energy and urban development minister AK Sharma will resign from the post of vice-president, while Laxmanacharya, who was recently appointed the Governor of Sikkim, has already resigned from the post.
Similarly, minister of state Narendra Kashyap will also resign from the post of UP BJP's OBC Morcha chief. Sources said that besides appointments on the above mentioned posts, other office bearers were likely to continue to hold their posts.
People familiar with the developments said that the party was in favour of promoting vice-presidents to the post of general secretary and secretaries to the posts of vice-president.
Sources said that if the central leadership agrees to change regional heads, they could be elevated to the post of vice-president. Three of the four regional heads who could be removed in view of their long tenure could be Manvendra Singh (Kanpur region), Dharmendra Kumar (Gorakhpur region) and Mahesh Srivastava (Kashi region). The post of Awadh region chief post is vacant since the demise of Sheshnath Misra.
Sources said that the party could appoint a Brahmin or a Kurmi as the regional chief of Awadh or Kashi but the final decision would be taken by the central leadership.
"If the party decides to remove West UP BJP chief Mohit Beniwal, primarily because he happens to be a Jat (as is the case with UP BJP chief), he would be replaced by a Thakur, a Brahmin or an OBC. From OBC, leaders from Pal community may be elevated as regional chief," a leader said on condition of anonymity.
"However, if the central leadership decides not to change regional BJP chiefs, those on secretary posts in BJP could be elevated as vice-president, while a few workers from districts could be accommodated as secretary," a source said.