BJP appoints Swatantra Dev Singh its Uttar Pradesh chief

NEW DELHI: Swatantra Dev Singh, an OBC leader, was Tuesday appointed the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh president, replacing Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey.nnPandey was inducted in the Union Cabinet, necessitating a change of guard in the state.nnSingh is a Kurmi, one of the influential backward castes in the state.nnHis appointment is seen as part of the BJP’s effort to consolidate its support among the OBCs, who strongly backed it in the state Assembly and recent Lok Sabha polls.nnSingh is Minister of State with Independent Charge for Transport & Protocol and Minister of State for Power in the Government of Uttar Pradesh.nnSource: Press Trust of India