LUCKNOW: BSP chief Mayawati has appointed Ramji Lal Gautam as party vice-president after sacking Jai Prakash Singh from the post and the party for his controversial remarks against PM Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi .

The decision was taken at Mayawati’s meeting with party coordinators in New Delhi on Saturday. Thirty-seven years old Gautam — a Jatav, the caste to which Mayawati belongs, — is party in charge in Telangana and is known for keeping a low profile.

Party sources said that Mayawati wanted a young face as party vice-president in her potential bid to develop a second rung party leadership to take on BJP in 2019 elections. Jai Prakash was also in his early thirties.

Mayawati also effected major organisational changes by appointing her trusted aide and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Siddharth as in charge of Madhya Pradesh where she wants a tie up with Congress.

Siddharth is learnt to have played a vital role in persuading alliance partner JD(S) to come with Congress in Karnataka for keeping the BJP out of power. Party national general secretary, Ram Achal Rajbhar, who was in charge of MP, will continue to work along with Ashok.

BSP chief also removed Dharamveer Singh Ashok as in charge of Rajasthan and appointed party’s Muslim leader Munqad Ali in his place. Mayawati, sources said, was annoyed with Dharamveer who had strongly pitched for making Jai Prakash party vice-president after Maya’s brother Anand Kumar stepped down from the post saying that the party would not promote nepotism.

