BJP Announces New Team: Manpreet Badal, Smriti Irani Among Key Appointments

BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Monday announced a new team of party office-bearers, bringing together experienced leaders and younger faces. The reshuffle includes several significant appointments and gives strong representation to Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and senior RSS leader Ram Madhav have been included among the party’s 13 new national vice presidents. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has been retained in the list, while former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has also been included. Former Union minister Smriti Irani has returned to the party’s list of national general secretaries. The new team also includes Satish Poonia, the BJP’s current observer for Punjab affairs, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia, who is considered close to Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Vinod Tawde and Sunil Bansal have been retained as general secretaries. Senior RSS leader BL Santosh will also continue as the party’s general secretary (organisation). One of the key appointments in the new list is that of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as the BJP’s treasurer. It remains to be seen whether Goyal will be removed from the Union Cabinet under the BJP’s “one person, one post” principle. Uttarakhand Lok Sabha MP Anil Baluni will continue as the party’s media head. Meanwhile, Tarun Chugh has been removed from the post of general secretary and appointed as in-charge of the BJP’s central office. The new list comprises 13 vice presidents and eight general secretaries. Arun Singh, Dushyant Gautam and Radha Mohan Agrawal have been removed from the post of general secretary. The new organisational team has been formed with an eye on the five state Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year. Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have received significant representation in the team announced by Nitin Nabin, with elections due in these states next year.