BJP’s Bihar reset a month after landslide win: Who is its new state president Sanjay Saraogi?

Saraogi’s elevation also addresses concerns about forward caste representation following the BJP’s decision to drop Nitish Mishra and Jiwesh Mishra from the state Cabinet, according to party insiders. A prominent face from Mithilanchal, Saraogi has previously served as a minister in previous Nitish Kumar governments.

Born in 1969, the 56-year-old leader began his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He became district mantri of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in 1999 and was elected as a councillor in 2002. In 2003, he was appointed the mahamantri of the BJP for Darbhanga district. Three years later, Saraogi became the party’s Darbhanga Nagar mandal president.

Considered a good organiser within the party, Saraogi first won the Darbhanga Sadar Assembly seat in the February 2005 elections and has since represented the constituency six consecutive times. One of the high points of his legislative career was his victory in the 2015 Assembly elections, when the NDA faced defeat against the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary welcomed Saraogi’s elevation, saying, “I extend my warm wishes to Sanjay Saraogi on becoming the state president. Under your leadership, the Bihar BJP organisation will undoubtedly embark on historic achievements, driven by renewed energy and a spirit of dedicated public service.”

“I am overwhelmed that the party has entrusted me with such a responsibility. I am thankful to the central leadership and will try my best to live up to their expectations,” Saraogi told reporters following his appointment.

BJP state vice-president Santosh Pathak told The Indian Express that Saraogi would bring “good results” in the coming days. “I have worked with him and I can say without a doubt that the state unit will undergo a transition under him. He will be a leader who will bring the organisation back to its basics,” he said.