UP, Punjab, Gujarat get new BJP in-charges ahead of Assembly polls

The BJP has begun reshaping its leadership structure in key poll-bound states, appointing senior leaders to oversee party affairs in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

BJP president Nitin Nabin on Tuesday appointed Rajya Sabha MP and national general secretary Vinod Tawde as the party's in-charge for Uttar Pradesh. Newly appointed national secretary Jagdish Ishwarbhai Patel has been named co-in-charge.

In Punjab, newly appointed national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Satish Poonia will take charge of the party's affairs. Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh has been appointed in-charge for Gujarat.

The appointments take effect immediately, according to a BJP circular. The party said appointments for other states would be made in due course and that the existing Prabhari arrangements would continue until then.

BJP focuses on states facing Assembly polls

The organisational changes come as the BJP prepares for Assembly elections in states where the party will face crucial electoral battles. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are due to go to the polls early next year, while Gujarat is scheduled for Assembly elections later in 2027, according to party sources.

The appointments also come a day after Nabin unveiled a reshaped BJP national team, bringing several new faces into key organisational positions.

The new team includes former Union minister Smriti Irani as a national general secretary and former RSS functionary Ram Madhav as a vice president.

The BJP has increased the number of national vice presidents from 11 to 13, with nine new faces in the group. The number of national general secretaries has also risen from seven to eight, while the new team has 16 national secretaries compared with 11 in the previous team.

Tawde, Bansal retained in new national team

Tawde and Sunil Bansal are the only two national general secretaries retained from the previous BJP team.

Poonia, who previously served as Rajasthan BJP president, is among the new faces appointed as national general secretaries.

According to party sources, Tawde and Bansal were rewarded for their organisational work. Sources also pointed to Bansal's contribution to the BJP's victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls.

Chugh, meanwhile, has also been assigned the role of central office in-charge, replacing Rajya Sabha MP Arun Singh.

With the latest appointments, the BJP's organisational reshuffle now extends to key state units in three politically important states, putting senior leaders in place as the party prepares for the next round of Assembly contests.

With PTI inputs