By Jasleen Kour
Jammu, August 20: Credited for scripting BJP’s historic victory in the 2014 Assembly elections in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, national executive member of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Ram Madhav recalled by the Saffron party to handle crucial elections in J&K.
After RSS called back Ram Madhav from BJP in 2021, he has been working on different platforms and heading the “India Foundation- an independent think-tank focused on the issues, challenges, and opportunities of Indian polity.
As campaigning for the Assembly election has started with the issuance of notification for the first phase of elections, the BJP recalled Ram Madhav appointed as the election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir, alongside Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
According to an order issued by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, both Ram Madhav, the former general secretary, and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy have been designated as in-charges for the upcoming assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The statement from Arun Singh noted, “BJP national president JP Nadda has appointed Ram Madhav, former national general secretary, and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy as election in-charge for the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. This appointment comes into effect immediately.”
Ram Madhav played a pivotal role in forming the PDP-BJP alliance after the 2014 Assembly elections. His recall for the crucial Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir underscores BJP’s commitment to the ongoing electoral battle in the Union Territory.
During his tenure as BJP national general secretary from 2014 to 2020, Madhav was responsible for managing political affairs in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and other Northeastern states. Under his leadership in the 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP achieved a historic win, securing 25 Assembly seats in the 87-member House. It was also Madhav who facilitated the BJP’s alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) post the 2014 elections, an experiment aimed at respecting the fractured mandate in J&K.
Despite his significant contributions, Madhav was dropped from JP Nadda’s team in 2020. Originating from Andhra Pradesh, Madhav was inducted into the BJP by its ideological mentor, the RSS, in 2014 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office. In a reshuffle on September 26, 2020, the BJP replaced Madhav and several other general secretaries with new faces. However, six months later, the RSS called back Ram Madhav, reinstating him as a key figure in the party.
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