New Parliamentary Board emphasises diversity: BJP

New Delhi, Aug 17: After dropping Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the party's highest decision-making body, the BJP claimed that its reconstituted parliamentary board shows organisational strength and gave emphasis on diversity. The BJP on Wednesday announced the reconstituted 11 members for its Parliamentary Board and 15 members for Central Election Committee (CEC). Former party president and Union Minister Gadkari and Chouhan were dropped from the Parliamentary Board and six new faces have been included. "The new reconstituted Parliamentary Board shows how the party rewards old workers and values their experience. People like B.S. Yediyurappa, Satyanarayan Jatia, K. Laxman have given their lives to the party, building it brick by brick from the start. Their coming to the highest decision-making body shows how the party values its esteemed Karyakartas (workers)," BJP sources said. Pointing towards the diversity of the newly constituted Parliamentary Board, BJP sources said: "There is an emphasis on diversity. Sarbananda Sonowal is from the Northeast, L. Laxman and B.S. Yeddyurappa hail from South. In Iqbal Singh Lalpura there is a Sikh." "Sudha Yadav is a self-made political leader whose husband was martyred in Kargil. Her inclusion shows utmost respect to women and families of armed forces personnel. Representation from the South and Northeast is at an all-time high in the Parliamentary Board," sources added. Eleven members of the reconstituted Parliamentary Board includes BJP chief J. P. Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Sarbananda Sonowal, former Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa, OBC Morcha national president K. Laxman, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Sudha Yadav, Satyanarayan Jatia and national general secretary (organisation) B. L. Santhosh. The six new faces in the Parliamentary Board are Yediyurappa, Sonowal, Laxman, Lalpura, Yadav and Jatiya. The 15-member Central Election Committee includes the 11 members of the Parliamentary Board and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, Om Mathur and national president of party women wing Vanathi Srinivasan. Senior leaders Shahnawaz Hussain and Jual Oram were dropped from the CEC. (IANS)