Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): BJP’s state unit president VD Sharma has created a record amid the organisation’s efforts to find a new president. Sharma has been the state unit president for more five years and two months without any gap.
None of the leaders of the party has served its state unit as long as Sharma has done since the foundation of organisation. Sharma was appointed state unit president on February 15, 2020 and has since been on the post.
If the two terms of Sunderlal Patwa as state unit president are counted, he served as state head of the party for the longest period. He served as state unit president for seven years and one month in his two stints.
If the two terms of Patwa are put together, Sharma comes second in terms of serving the party as state president. Patwa’s tenures, the two terms of Narendra Singh Tomar and those of Kailash Joshi were second.
If the two terms of Tomar are added, he served as state unit president for five years one month and 15 days. Joshi served the party as state unit president for five years. But Sharma is ahead of Joshi and Tomar in terms of period of serving the party as its president.
When Sharma became the president of the party, he was not as experienced as his predecessors were when they had taken over the party. Sharma, who joined the BJP from the Sangh, has been the most successful state president.
The party has fought one Lok Sabha election, one assembly election and several by-elections under his leadership. The party’s victory on all 29 Lok Sabha seats has gone to Sharma’s credit.
Tenure of BJP presidents
Sunderlal Patwa December 5, 1980 to Nov 30, 1983
Kailash Joshi December 1, 1983 to March 31, 1985
Shivprasad Chenpuria April 1 1985 to January 11, 1986
Sunderlal Patwa January 12, 1986 to March 8, 1990
Lakhiram Agarwal March 9, 1990 to June 10, 1994
Lakshminarain Pandey June 14, 1994 to Nov 8, 1997
Nandkumar Sai November 9, 1997 to July 11, 2000
Vikram Verma July 12, 2000 to August 26, 2002
Kailash Joshi August 27, 2002 to May 16, 2005
Shivraj Singh Chouhan May 16, 2005 to February 27, 2006
Satyanarayan Jatia February 27, 2006 to Nov 21, 2006
Narendra Singh Tomar November 22, 2006 to May 7, 2010
Prabhat Jha May 8, 2010 to December 15, 2012
Narendra Singh Tomar December 16, 2012 to Aug 16, 2014
N K Singh Chouhan August 16, 2014 to April 18, 2018
Rakesh Singh April 18, 2018 to February 15, 2020
VD Sharma February 15, 2020 till date
Sunderlal Patwa December 5, 1980 to Nov 30, 1983
Kailash Joshi December 1, 1983 to March 31, 1985
Shivprasad Chenpuria April 1 1985 to January 11, 1986
Sunderlal Patwa January 12, 1986 to March 8, 1990
Lakhiram Agarwal March 9, 1990 to June 10, 1994
Lakshminarain Pandey June 14, 1994 to Nov 8, 1997
Nandkumar Sai November 9, 1997 to July 11, 2000
Vikram Verma July 12, 2000 to August 26, 2002
Kailash Joshi August 27, 2002 to May 16, 2005
Shivraj Singh Chouhan May 16, 2005 to February 27, 2006
Satyanarayan Jatia February 27, 2006 to Nov 21, 2006
Narendra Singh Tomar November 22, 2006 to May 7, 2010
Prabhat Jha May 8, 2010 to December 15, 2012
Narendra Singh Tomar December 16, 2012 to Aug 16, 2014
N K Singh Chouhan August 16, 2014 to April 18, 2018
Rakesh Singh April 18, 2018 to February 15, 2020
VD Sharma February 15, 2020 till date
