BJP Unveils New Team: Smriti Irani Returns as General Secretary, Women Get Key Roles

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its new organisational team on [date] under party president JP Nadda, ahead of assembly elections in several states. The appointments aim to balance regional representation with a mix of experienced leaders and younger faces.

A key development is the return of former Union minister Smriti Irani to a core organisational role as one of the national general secretaries. Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje continues as a national vice president.

Six of the 13 national vice presidents are women, along with four women secretaries and a woman general secretary. Two leaders from the Muslim community have also been appointed to significant positions, reflecting an effort to enhance diversity within the party's leadership structure.

The new team shows a notable focus on southern and eastern states, with leaders from Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha, and the northeast receiving prominent secretary and vice-president roles. This move is seen as part of the BJP's strategy to expand its footprint beyond its traditional strongholds.

Sandeep Pathak, who recently quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has been made a national secretary. Sambit Patra has been appointed coordinator for the northeast region, a position that underscores the party's attention to the area.

Among the national vice presidents are Baijayant Jay Panda from Odisha, D Purandeswari from Andhra Pradesh, Rekha Verma from Uttar Pradesh, and Sardar Manpreet Singh Badal from Punjab. Other vice presidents include Ram Madhav from Delhi, Tirath Singh Rawat from Uttarakhand, Varshaben Narendrabhai Doshi from Gujarat, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar from Maharashtra, Lal Singh Arya from Madhya Pradesh, M Nagaraj from Karnataka, Tariq Mansoor from Uttar Pradesh, and Madhuchhanda Kar from West Bengal.

BL Santhosh continues as national general secretary (organisation), supported by joint general secretaries Shiv Prakash and Saudan Singh. The party has tasked Anil Baluni with media coordination, assisted by Ashish Usha Agarwal, Pradeep Bhandari, and Siddharth Yadav. Deepak Mhaskey has been named social media coordinator, with Priti Gandhi, Shivanand Dwivedi, Alok Bhatt, and Arun Yadav as joint coordinators.

These appointments come at a time when political parties are increasingly relying on digital platforms to communicate directly with voters and party workers. The new team combines experienced leaders with strong organisational and grassroots experience alongside a new line of next-generation leaders, positioning the BJP for the challenges of upcoming electoral contests.