New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed senior leaders to oversee key poll bound states, with party president Nitin Nabin naming Rajya Sabha MP and national general secretary Vinod Tawde as the in charge of Uttar Pradesh and newly appointed national secretary Jagdish Ishwarbhai Patel as co in charge.
Rajya Sabha MP Satish Poonia has been appointed in charge of Punjab, while Tarun Chugh will oversee Gujarat. The appointments take effect immediately, with the party stating that the existing arrangement for other states will continue until further announcements.
The appointments come a day after the BJP unveiled its new national leadership team, expanding its organisational structure ahead of crucial Assembly elections. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are scheduled to go to the polls early next year, while Gujarat will hold elections later in 2027.
The revamped team includes 13 national vice presidents, eight national general secretaries and 16 national secretaries. Former Union minister Smriti Irani has returned as national general secretary, while Ram Madhav has been appointed national vice president. Vinod Tawde and Sunil Bansal are the only general secretaries retained from the previous team, reflecting the party’s confidence in their organisational work.
With the organisational overhaul complete, political attention has shifted to the possibility of a Union Cabinet reshuffle. The Modi government has completed more than two years of its third term, and recent resignations have fuelled speculation about changes to the Council of Ministers. Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union Education Minister, with Pralhad Joshi holding additional charge, while Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian also resigned after the completion of their Rajya Sabha terms.
Adding to the speculation, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said a Cabinet reshuffle could take place “very soon” and suggested that new faces from the BJP and its allies may be inducted into the Union government.
