New Delhi, April 8 (IANS): B.S. Yeddyurappa and Vijay Sampla are likely to be appointed as the new chiefs of the Karnataka and Punjab units of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sources said.

The names of Yeddyurappa and Sampla are almost final and an official announcement is likely to come soon, said the sources. 

Yeddyurappa is former chief minister of Karnataka and is currently the national vice president of the BJP. 

Sampla is union Minister of State for Social Justice.

Both the leaders are Lok Sabha members. 

The current president of Karnataka unit of BJP is Pralhad V. Joshi. 

Yeddyurappa became the frontrunner to take up the post of the party's Karnataka unit after the Supreme Court last year declined to intervene and revoke a Karnataka High Court order putting on hold his prosecution in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The current president of the Punjab unit of the BJP is Kamal Sharma. 

The name of former cricketer and BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu was also being considered for the post. Sources said Sidhu declined the offer. 

Punjab will be going to polls next year to elect its new assembly.