NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 25: BJP finally rehabilitated former Union Minister Madan Lal Khurana by appointing him national vice-president of the party, almost a year after he had resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's interference in matters of governance.Though Khurana was allowed to remain in the party after he stopped his tirade against the Sangh, he was not inducted in the Union Cabinet this time.He replaces Bangaru Laxman who has been included in the Cabinet.Effecting the long-due reshuffle to fill up vacancies caused in the party organisation due to some office bearers' induction in the Union Cabinet, party chief Kushabhau Thakre did not appoint a general secretary in place of Sumitra Mahajan. Apparently, the party was hoping that Sushma Swaraj would reconsider her decision to turn down the offer of the general secretary's post.Two other vice-presidents appointed today were Ram Das Agrawal (Rajasthan) and Bhavna Ben Chikhalia (Gujrat) in place of Sunder Lal Patwa, who is now a member of Vajpayee Cabinet and Krishna Lal Sharma, who died of cardiac arrest recently.The party has appointed Ratan Lal Kataria as secretary in place of Rajvir Singh who has been shifted as chairman of Kisan Morcha in place of Hukumdeo Narain Yadav. Yadav has earlier appointed as Minister of State for Agriculture in the Vajpayee Cabinet.Chintaman Vanga from Maharashtra has replaced Faggan Singh Kulaste who too has joined the Union Cabinet.
