New Delhi, August 17
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced a major organisational reshuffle under national president Nitin Nabin, unveiling a new team of national office-bearers as the party prepares for a series of crucial electoral battles.
The appointments come around seven months after Nabin took charge as BJP national president and bring several significant changes to the party’s organisational structure. Former Union minister Smriti Irani has returned to a prominent organisational role as a national general secretary, while former BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav has made a comeback as a national vice-president.
One of the most closely watched changes is in the BJP’s digital organisation. Amit Malviya has been replaced as the party’s IT and social media chief, with Deepak Mhaske taking over as Social Media Coordinator. The change comes at a time when the BJP’s digital and communication machinery is expected to play an increasingly important role in upcoming electoral campaigns.
Smriti Irani gets key Uttar Pradesh responsibility
Irani’s appointment as national general secretary is among the most politically significant features of the new team. She has also been assigned responsibility for Uttar Pradesh, making her role particularly important ahead of the state’s 2027 Assembly elections.
Irani, who represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha before losing the seat in the 2024 general election, remains one of the BJP’s most recognisable campaigners. Her return to the organisational leadership is being viewed as an effort to deploy a high-profile political communicator in India’s most electorally significant state.
Ram Madhav’s return is another notable feature. Madhav, who previously served as BJP national general secretary and played a significant role in the party’s expansion in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, has now been appointed national vice-president.
Vasundhara Raje, Jay Panda among vice-presidents
Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia has retained a place in the national leadership as vice-president. The new vice-presidential team also includes Ram Madhav, Baijayant Jay Panda, D. Purandeswari, Tirath Singh Rawat, Manpreet Singh Badal and several other leaders.
The BJP has appointed 13 national vice-presidents, reflecting a mix of experienced political leaders and representatives from different regions and social groups. Professor Tariq Mansoor of Uttar Pradesh is also among the vice-presidents.
At the organisational level, B.L. Santhosh continues as national general secretary (Organisation), ensuring continuity in the party’s core organisational machinery.
Amit Malviya replaced in digital organisation
The removal of Amit Malviya from the BJP’s IT organisation is likely to attract considerable political attention. Malviya had emerged as one of the most visible figures in the BJP’s digital ecosystem and was closely associated with the party’s social-media campaigns and online political messaging.
He has now been replaced by Deepak Mhaske, a BJP functionary from Chhattisgarh. Mhaske’s appointment represents a significant change in the leadership of the party’s digital communication apparatus.
The BJP has also appointed several social-media co-coordinators, including Priti Gandhi, Shivanand Dwivedi, Alok Bhatt and Arun Yadav.
Focus on Uttar Pradesh and wider social representation
Uttar Pradesh has received substantial representation in the new organisational structure. Apart from Smriti Irani, the team includes leaders such as Rekha Verma, Harish Dwivedi, Bhola Singh, Sangeeta Yadav, Amarpal Maurya and Kunwar Basit Ali.
The appointment of Professor Tariq Mansoor as vice-president and Kunwar Basit Ali as Minority Morcha president also gives the new team representation from the Muslim community.
Overall, the BJP has sought to project the new organisation as geographically and socially diverse. Current reports put the number of women in the national office-bearer team at 10, while six leaders from minority communities have also been included.
Piyush Goyal gets treasurer’s responsibility
The new team also assigns important organisational responsibilities to senior leaders. Union minister Piyush Goyal has been appointed national treasurer, while Tarun Chugh will serve as Central Office In-charge.
The party has also announced new appointments for its various frontal organisations. Hemang Joshi has been appointed president of the BJP Yuva Morcha, Roop Kumari Choudhary will head the Mahila Morcha, Amarpal Maurya will lead the OBC Morcha and Bansilal Gurjar will head the Kisan Morcha. The party’s SC, ST and Minority Morchas will be headed by Shivesh Kumar Ram, Mannalal Rawat and Kunwar Basit Ali respectively.
A team for the next electoral cycle
The reshuffle comes at a politically important juncture for the BJP. With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching in Uttar Pradesh and other states, the party’s organisational machinery will face the task of converting its national political narrative into state-level electoral mobilisation. The new team is also expected to play a role in preparing the party for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP has described the new line-up as a combination of experience and new energy. The appointments bring back several established political figures while giving organisational responsibilities to younger and relatively less prominent leaders.
The newly appointed office-bearers will assume their responsibilities with immediate effect. The party has also scheduled a meeting of the new team in New Delhi on August 22.
The restructuring therefore goes beyond a routine organisational exercise. The return of leaders such as Smriti Irani and Ram Madhav, the continued presence of organisational veterans such as B.L. Santhosh, and the replacement of Amit Malviya in the digital apparatus together point to an attempt by Nitin Nabin to put his stamp on the BJP’s national organisation.
The BJP’s new team will now be tested first on the ground in the states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, where the next Assembly election is likely to be one of the most consequential political contests before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.