New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled a major organisational reshuffle under party president Nitin Nabin, bringing former Union minister Smriti Irani back into the party’s top leadership, appointing former general secretary Ram Madhav as national vice president and replacing long-serving IT Cell chief Amit Malviya.
Irani has been appointed a National General Secretary, marking her return to the BJP’s upper organisational ranks after she was dropped from the Union Cabinet in June 2024. Her political prominence had risen significantly after she defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, she lost the constituency to Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma in the 2024 polls.
The new team also features a stronger representation of women. Of the 13 national vice presidents, six are women, including former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Overall, 12 women have been included in the new leadership structure, a move that assumes significance ahead of key Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat next year.
A significant change has also been made in the BJP’s digital organisation. Amit Malviya, who headed the party’s IT Cell for 11 years, has been removed from the post. He will be succeeded by Deepak Mhaskey of Chhattisgarh. Anil Baluni, meanwhile, will continue as the party’s media in-charge.
The reshuffle also includes several leaders with diverse political backgrounds. Sandeep Pathak, who recently moved from the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP along with Raghav Chadha, has been appointed as national secretary. Kerala leaders K Surendran and Anil Antony, son of former Defence Minister A K Antony, have also been included among the national secretaries.
Odisha leader Sambit Patra has been appointed coordinator for the Northeast. Former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat and former Union minister Bharti Pravin Pawar are among other prominent names in the revamped structure. BJP General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh will retain his position.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the appointments, saying the new team combines organisational experience, energy and grassroots connect. Nabin also said the reshuffle would provide fresh momentum to the BJP’s organisation and advance its commitment to nation-building and a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
The organisational overhaul comes seven months after Nabin succeeded J P Nadda as BJP president and amid expectations of a Union Cabinet reshuffle. The new structure appears aimed at balancing experienced leaders with younger faces and greater representation of women.
