National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party Amit Shah today announced the appointment of Union Minister of State Vijay Sampla as the new president of the Punjab BJP.Vijay Sampla, 56, a mass leader and a Dalit, has lived with a clean unblemished track record and will steer the party to a resounding victory in the upcoming assembly election slated early next year. Punjab has the highest Dalit population in the country. Latest census figures put the number of Dalit’s in Punjab at 37 per cent. As a grass root leader, Vijay Sampla has frantically worked for the betterment of the downtrodden and the socially backward community. His life epitomizes struggled, grit and fulfilment in the face of adversity.He worked hard a labourer in his initial days to make both ends meet. His experience and journey from a labourer to a Union Minister and now the state president BJP will be an inspiration for all, the party said Friday.Vijay Sampla, the first Dalit to be the Punjab BJP chief, has a vast multifarious experience.
He has been Chairman Punjab State Forest Development Corp (2013-2014), Chairman Punjab State Khadi and Village Industry Board (2008 to 2012), State vice President, BJP Punjab (2013-14), State Vice President BJP Punjab (2007-2011), State Gen-Sec B.J.P Punjab(2003-2007), State Vice President BJP Punjab(2002-2003), State President BJP- S.C. Morcha (2001-2002), Mandal President Jalandhar Cantt Rural (1999-2001) and Mandal Gen-Sec Jalandhar Cantt Rural (1999-2001) and a Sarpanch of Village - Sofi Pind, Jalandhar Cantt (1998-2003) .National Vice President BJP Avinash Rai Khanna, Former Minister & MLA Manoranjan Kalia, former State President & MLA Ashwani Sharma, Chairman Khadi Board Harjit Singh Grewal and Asst Media Adviser Vineet Joshi thanked National President BJP for appointing grass root leader as state president BJP Punjab.