Cockroach protests, upcoming state polls prompt major org overhaul in BJP
The extensive reshuffle brings a strong generational shift and diverse representation into the ruling party's leadership structure
BJP President Nitin Nabin has announced a revamped 65-member list of national office-bearers aimed at reshaping the party's machinery in a likely response to the Cockroach Janta Party-led youth protests over exam paper leaks and the upcoming assembly elections in five states ahead of the 2029 parliamentary polls.
Seven months after taking over as party chief, Nabin announced the list yesterday (17 August).
The extensive reshuffle brings a strong generational shift and diverse representation into the ruling party's leadership structure.
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Out of the 65 office-bearers announced, 51 are new faces.
The new team includes six leaders under 40 years of age, 15 in the 40-49 age group, and 21 in the 50-59 age group.
Furthermore, the list features 12 women across key organisational roles and six leaders from minority communities, with leaders from Uttar Pradesh maintaining a particularly strong presence ahead of critical state elections in Punjab, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
Among the most talked-about changes in the revamped leadership is the return of TV actress-turned-politician Smriti Irani as party general secretary after two years, alongside major changes in the party's digital strategy.
The party has removed Amit Malviya as head of the BJP's IT cell following a tenure often mired in controversies, appointing Deepak Mhaske as the new social media convener.
The newly formed social media team also includes Priti Gandhi, Shivanand Dwivedi, Alok Bhatt, and Arun Yadav.
In another key executive appointment, India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has been named the national treasurer of the party.
The timing of the organisational reshuffle assumes significant political importance as it follows widespread street protests led by the CJP in June and July over exam paper leaks, an agitation that previously led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as education minister.
According to BJP sources, the ruling party had failed to put up an effective counter as the CJP's movement drew large numbers of youth, beating both the ruling party and the main opposition Congress across online and offline platforms.
Preparing for upcoming electoral battles, the party appointed 13 vice-presidents, marking the return of former RSS functionary Ram Madhav after several years in the political wilderness, alongside former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and industrialist Baijayant Jay Panda.
The overhaul is rounded out by 16 national secretaries drawn from various states to reinforce the party's ground presence.
