Bhubaneswar: The BJP leadership is contemplating a revamp of the state party unit following a string of electoral debacles in the state.

Important RSS functionaries Ram Lal and Krishna Gopal, who are key links between the BJP and the Sangh, were here on April 3 to discuss the issue with party leaders and sympathisers, sources said. The first step was taken with the RSS replacing its state organisational secretary Sarada Prasad Satpathy with Manas Mohanty, a new face.

"The organisational secretary is the key link with the state unit of the BJP," said a source.

The source said that the leadership was worried about the party's popularity dipping after a period of positive growth manifested in the 2017 panchayat polls when the BJP had bagged 297 zila parishad seats. But the celebrations had proved short-lived, with a string of defeats thereafter.

While the BJP fared much below its expectations in the Bijepur Assembly bypoll, it suffered another jolt on Thursday when it drew a blank in the Attabira and Hindol NAC elections. The outcome is of particularly worry for the BJP as the party had done considerably well during the zila parishad polls.

Despite party president Amit Shah visiting a particular ward in Jajpur district under the " mo booth sabuthu majboot (my booth is very strong)" programme, the BJP had lost in the subsequent bypoll.

Sources said Shah in his closed-door meetings with state leaders during his two-day visit to west Odisha this week had dropped hints about a possible change in the party set-up.

Party spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said that during this week's visit Shah had reviewed assignments he had given to state leaders.

"He was keen to see whether the party workers had reached out to the booth level or not," said Sharma.

Sources said though Shah in his public meetings vowed to throw away the Naveen Patnaik government, during private conservation with party leaders he appeared to be unhappy with the way the BJP was functioning in the state.

In Bhubaneswar, BJP sympathisers told the two RSS emissaries - Ram Lal and Krishna Gopal - that unless the state party structure was overhauled it would not be able to convert Modi magic into votes.

"When the Modi wave was at its peak in 2014, the party failed to put up a good show in the elections and could win just 10 seats, a marginal increase of four seats from the 2009 general election," said a senior leader.

Sources said senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi, who has strong roots in the RSS, was emerging as the face of BJP in the state as he had a clean image and a strong following.

Sarangi is being considered as a replacement for incumbent state president Basant Panda, who may be relieved of his charge 10 months ahead of schedule.

However speaking to The Telegraph, Sarangi said: "I have no idea about it. I was considered to lead the state party in 2013 as well but it did not materialise. I am a disciplined soldier of the party and will carry out whatever responsibility is assigned to me."