BJP names Pradhan as poll in-charge for Bihar, Bhupender Yadav for Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Thursday named Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupender Yadav, both key OBC faces and most seasoned poll managers of the party, as its in-charge for the Assembly elections in Bihar and Bengal, respectively.
Making important appointments for three poll-bound states, including for next year, the BJP named Baijayant 'Jay' Panda, one of its vice-presidents, its in-charge for the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu where it is a junior partner to the AIADMK.
The Bihar elections are expected in November, followed by West Bengal and Tamil Nadu which are likely to go to polls in March-April 2026.
A BJP statement said Union minister C R Paatil, who heads the party's Gujarat unit and is considered a capable organisation hand, and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya have been named co-incharges for the Bihar polls.
Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb is the co-incharge for West Bengal, while Union minister Murlidhar Mohol is the co-incharge for Tamil Nadu, it said.
Both Pradhan and Yadav come from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and are among the most experienced poll managers of the BJP.
Maurya also belongs to an OBC caste, while Deb is a Bengali, an aspect which can be politically helpful for the party in the states assigned to them.
Pradhan was the in-charge for Haryana elections, while Yadav helmed a similar role for Maharashtra polls, both held in 2024, with the BJP pulling off wins of a stunning scale in the two states.
Pradhan's formal appointment for the Bihar polls came very close to the elections, though he had been involved in the state's affairs.
He was the party's co-incharge for the 2010 Bihar polls, when the BJP-JD(U) alliance scored its most emphatic victory.
He was also the in-charge in for the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka, while Yadav oversaw polls in Bihar and Gujarat, among others, in the past.
With the BJP's national leadership plays a central role in shaping the party's campaign for Assembly polls, election in-charges play a critical part as their bridge with state leaders and implementing the party's strategies on the ground. The co-incharges assist them in implementing the agenda.
While the BJP is eying to retain power with its main ally Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, it hopes to breach Trinamool Congress' citadel of West Bengal, where it has emerged as the main challenger to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who will complete 15 years at the helm by the next elections.
The OBC plank is especially resonant in Bihar where the community has been the dominant political force for decades, with the extremely backward classes, a subset of more deprived castes, along with a section of Scheduled Castes seen to be holding the balance of power.
Pradhan's immediate challenge will be to ensure a smooth seat-sharing arrangement among the BJP's allies, some of whom have been seeking a much larger share than it is willing to part with.
Both the BJP and the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are expected to contest almost an equal number of seats in the elections to the 243-member Assembly, though the other allies such as Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitam Ram Manjhi too have been vocal in airing their demands.
Former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha is another ally.
In Tamil Nadu, the BJP has remained a marginal player, trying to organise a strong alliance headed by the AIADMK to take on the ruling DMK.
Panda was the party's poll in-charge for Delhi polls this year, when the BJP returned to power in the Union territory after more than 25 years.
Alongside West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, Assembly polls will also be held in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry next year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
