Dharmendra Pradhan appointed poll in-charge

New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday appointed Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its in-charge for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, a party statement said.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Tamil Nadu BJP unit president K Annamalai will be the party's co-incharges for the high-stakes polls, where both the ruling party and the opposition Congress have launched an intensive public outreach for the elections likely to be held in April-May.

Pradhan, a seasoned organisation man of the party, had been tasked with handling several elections in the past, including the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls last year where the BJP retained power with a big margin. Mandaviya has also been an experienced organisation man in Gujarat, his home state.