UpdateBot at 18:48, 10 June 2022

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{{short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =B. L. Santhosh
| image =
| birth_date ={{birth date and age|1967|09|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Hiriadka]], Udupi district,
Mysuru State, (present-day [[Karanataka]]) India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| office = National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party
| term_start = 15 July 2019
| predecessor = [[Ram Lal]]
| successor =
| office1 = National Joint General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party
| term_start1 = 2014
| term_end1 = 2019
| party = [[Bhartiya Janata Party]]
| education = [[Bachelors of Engineering]]
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
| office2 = State General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party
| term_start2 = 2006
| term_end2 = 2014
| citizenship = [[India]]n
}}

'''Bommarabettu Laxmijanardhana Santhosh''' is an Indian politician currently National General Secretary of [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] from 15 July 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url =https://theprint.in/politics/conspiracies-threats-and-deleted-posts-bjp-leader-bl-santhoshs-angry-twitter-world/373619/|title =Conspiracies, threats and deleted posts – BJP leader BL Santhosh's angry Twitter world|publisher =The Print|quote =Meet B.L. Santhosh, the most high-profile BJP general secretary (organisation) ever, a party post virtually reserved for an RSS pracharak who commands enormous influence as he is the link between the party and its ideological patron (RSS). |date = 2 March 2020|author =Neelam Pandey|access-date =1 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url =https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ktakas-bl-santhosh-elevated-bjp-general-secretary-partys-2nd-most-powerful-role-105458|title =K'taka's BL Santhosh elevated to BJP General Secretary, party's 2nd most powerful role|publisher =The News Minute|date =15 July 2019|access-date =1 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Meet BL Santhosh, newly appointed general secretary of BJP |url=https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/meet-bl-santhosh-newly-appointed-general-secretary-of-bjp-1563168633822.html |access-date=16 March 2020 |work=live mint |date=15 July 2019 |author=Gyan Varma |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url =https://www.news18.com/news/politics/why-bjp-promotion-for-rss-loyalist-bl-santhosh-should-have-yeddyurappa-looking-over-his-shoulder-2232559.html|title =Why BJP Promotion For RSS Loyalist BL Santhosh Should Have Yeddyurappa Looking Over His Shoulder|publisher =News 18|date =16 July 2019|author =Deepa Balakrishnan|access-date =1 May 2020}}</ref>

Santhosh worked as BJP's General Secretary (Organisation) for eight years in the [[Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka|Karnataka state unit]] and was appointed national joint general secretary in-charge of southern states in 2014 by [[Amit Shah]].<ref name='BHAVNA'>{{cite news |url =https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-with-b-l-santhosh-as-party-general-secretary-bjp-aims-to-conquer-southern-states/334260|title =With B L Santhosh As Party General Secretary, BJP Aims To Conquer Southern States|work = Outlook|date =15 July 2019|author =BHAVNA VIJ-AURORA|access-date =1 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/010919/is-bl-santhosh-the-new-modi-of-karnataka.html | title=Is BL Santhosh The new 'Modi' of Karnataka? | work=Deccan Chronicle| date=1 September 2019 | access-date=10 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://theprint.in/politics/how-bl-santhosh-is-redefining-role-of-rss-pointsman-in-bjp-under-amit-shah/346754/ | title=How BL Santhosh is redefining role of RSS pointsman in BJP under Amit Shah | work=Rohini Swamy | publisher=ThePrint | date=9 January 2020 | access-date=10 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url =https://m.timesofindia.com/city/bengaluru/why-bl-santhosh-cant-be-the-yogi-adityanath-of-karnataka/amp_articleshow/58487379.cms|title =Why BL Santhosh can't be the Yogi Adityanath of Karnataka|work =The Times of India|location =Bangaluru|date =3 May 2017|author =ManuAiyappa Kanathanda|access-date = 10 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url =https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/270117/bl-santhosh-behind-the-rebellion-in-karnataka-state-bjp.html|title =BL Santhosh behind the rebellion in Karnataka BJP?|website=Deccan Chronicle|location =Bangaluru|date =27 January 2017|author =Bhaskar Hegde|access-date =10 July 2020}}</ref>

==Early life==

Santhosh hails from [[Udupi]] in [[Karnataka]]. He studied Instrumentation Technology in BDT College of Engineering in [[Davanagere]], Karnataka.<ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.bhopalsamachar.com/2019/07/all-about-bl-santosh-number-email.html |title=ALL ABOUT BL SANTOSH: NUMBER, EMAIL, BIODATA HINDI}}</ref>

==Career==
Santosh started as a RSS Pracharak (full-time worker) in 1993. He had stints in [[Mysuru]], Shivamogga and later in Bangalore. He returned to Shivamogga in the early 2000s.<ref name="federal">{{cite news |last1=Mallikarjunan |first1=Prabhu |title=BL Santhosh: BJP's silent elephant in Karnataka's political war room |url=https://thefederal.com/states/south/karnataka/bl-santhosh-bjps-silent-elephant-in-karnatakas-political-war-room/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |date=16 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830134016/https://thefederal.com/states/south/karnataka/bl-santhosh-bjps-silent-elephant-in-karnatakas-political-war-room/ |archive-date=30 August 2020}}</ref> In 2006 he moved to BJP as the General Secretary (Organization) for Karnataka. He remained in the post till 2014. This also saw the BJP in power between 2008 and 2013.

In 2014, Santosh was made the Joint General Secretary (Organization) of BJP. In 2019 he was elevated to the post General Secretary (Organization) of BJP. He is someone who is attributed to have spotted and groomed youth leaders such as [[Pratap Simha]] and [[Tejasvi Surya]] in Karnataka.<ref name='BHAVNA'/>

Detractors say Santosh wields a lot of control in Karnataka BJP and within the BJP high command at the center. People quote the fact that 2 unknown faces, Ashok Gasti and Eranna Kadadi, were made members of [[Rajya Sabha]] by the BJP in June 2020 much against the wishes of the Chief Minister.<ref name="grassroots">{{cite news |last1=Dwarakanath |first1=Nagarjun |title=Karnataka: BL Santosh picks grassroots BJP workers as Rajya Sabha candidates |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/karnataka-bl-santosh-bjp-rajya-sabha-election-1686816-2020-06-08 |access-date=7 September 2020 |date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609203709/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/karnataka-bl-santosh-bjp-rajya-sabha-election-1686816-2020-06-08 |archive-date=9 June 2020}}</ref>

== Controversy==
Santosh in January 2020 reported that [[Valmiki caste|Valmikis]], [[Bhovi]]s, [[Waddar]]s, and other [[Dalit]] societies are migrants, not native communities. J N Ganesh critizized him and said his assertion was incorrect. The Federation of Progressive Organizations organized a protest, demanding that he be charged under the SC/ST Act.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-30|title=Action against B L Santosh sought for 'Dalit migrant' remark|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/state/mangaluru/action-against-b-l-santosh-sought-for-dalit-migrant-remark-799881.html|access-date=2021-05-02|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Bharatiya Janata Party|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santhosh, B. L.}}
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

{{Karnataka-BJP-politician-stub}}

B. L. Santhosh - Revision history

UpdateBot at 18:48, 10 June 2022