BJP reshuffles state in-charges: Smriti Irani gets Haryana, Chhattisgarh; Vinod Tawde UP
Synopsis
BJP's nationwide organisational reshuffle is more than a routine reshuffle — it's a pre-election positioning exercise. Assigning Smriti Irani to Haryana and Chhattisgarh and deploying Sunil Bansal across West Bengal and Telangana signals where the party sees its next big battles, and which leaders it's betting on to fight them.
Key Takeaways
BJP National President Nitin Nabin announced a sweeping organisational reshuffle on 23 September 2026 , covering nearly all states and UTs.
Smriti Irani named state in-charge for Haryana and Chhattisgarh ; Vinod Tawde appointed for Uttar Pradesh .
Baijayant Jay Panda takes charge of Maharashtra ; Sunil Bansal handles both West Bengal and Telangana .
Biplab Kumar Deb assigned Madhya Pradesh ; Ram Madhav given Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand .
Anil Baluni named communication department co-ordinator; Ashish Usha Agrawal appointed media department convenor.
Appointments aim to strengthen the party's network ahead of future electoral and organisational programmes .
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 23 September 2026, overhauled its organisational structure, with BJP National President Nitin Nabin announcing a sweeping set of state in-charge and co-in-charge appointments covering nearly all states and union territories. The changes, detailed in an official circular issued from the party's central office, take immediate effect and are aimed at strengthening the BJP's grassroots network ahead of future electoral cycles.
Key Appointments at a Glance
Former Union Minister Smriti Irani has been named state in-charge for both Chhattisgarh and Haryana, with Siddharth Shambhu serving as co-in-charge for Chhattisgarh and Dr Bhola Singh as co-in-charge for Haryana. Vinod Tawde takes charge of Uttar Pradesh, the party's most critical state, assisted by co-in-charges Jagadish Patel, Medha Kulkarni, Dr Pradeep Verma, and Anant Ojha.
Baijayant Jay Panda has been assigned Maharashtra, with Amit Malviya, Sadanand Shet Tanavade, and Kamaljeet Sahrawat as co-in-charges — a formation that signals the party's intent to consolidate ground ahead of the state's next assembly contest.
Eastern and Southern Fronts
Sunil Bansal — a seasoned organisational strategist — has been handed the dual responsibility of Telangana and West Bengal. For Telangana, Abhay Patil and Rekha Sharma are co-in-charges. West Bengal's team comprises Lal Singh Arya, Rajendra Singh, and Pinki Kushwaha as co-in-charges.
In the south, Dr Arvind Bhadauria will head Andhra Pradesh with Vanathi Srinivasan as co-in-charge, while Ram Madhav has been named state in-charge for both Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. Harish Dwivedi will oversee Bihar and Karnataka.
Other Major State Assignments
Biplab Kumar Deb takes charge of Madhya Pradesh with Rekha Verma as co-in-charge. Dr Satish Poonia has been assigned Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, two politically sensitive regions. Mangal Pandey will serve as state in-charge for Assam.
The circular also names in-charges for smaller states and union territories: Jay Prakash (Andaman and Nicobar), Dr Devesh Kumar (Arunachal Pradesh), Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe (Delhi), Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar (Goa), Tarun Chugh (Gujarat), Shrikant Sharma (Himachal Pradesh), Gajendra Patel (Jharkhand), Prof M Nagaraja (Kerala), Rajkumar Bhatia (Ladakh), George Kurian (Lakshadweep), Dr Rajdeep Roy (Manipur), Kanad Purkayastha (Meghalaya), Dr Bhagwat Karad (Mizoram), Anil Antony (Nagaland and Goa Sah Prabhari), D Purandeswari (Odisha), K Surendran (Puducherry), Raju Bista (Sikkim), and Mriganka Deb Barman (Tripura).
Media and Communication Roles
Beyond state in-charges, Nitin Nabin also announced internal party appointments: Ashish Usha Agrawal has been named convenor of the media department, while Anil Baluni will serve as co-ordinator of the communication department — positions that carry significance as the party gears up for an active public communications cycle.
The circular was issued by national office in-charge Tarun Chugh to all state presidents and organisational general secretaries for immediate action. Several leaders have been given dual or multiple state responsibilities, reflecting both the party's organisational depth and the practical reality of managing a national cadre network across 28 states and 8 union territories.
Point of View
Two states where the BJP has struggled to dislodge incumbents, reflects ambition but also stretches a key organisational resource thin. The real test of these appointments will be whether the in-charges deliver a stronger voter-outreach infrastructure, or whether the reshuffle is simply a signalling exercise that reshuffles names without moving votes.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has been appointed BJP in-charge for Haryana and Chhattisgarh?
Smriti Irani has been named BJP state in-charge for both Haryana and Chhattisgarh, as announced by party president Nitin Nabin on 23 September 2026. Siddharth Shambhu is co-in-charge for Chhattisgarh and Dr Bhola Singh for Haryana.
Who is the BJP in-charge for Uttar Pradesh?
Vinod Tawde has been appointed BJP state in-charge for Uttar Pradesh. He is supported by co-in-charges Jagadish Patel, Medha Kulkarni, Dr Pradeep Verma, and Anant Ojha.
Why did the BJP carry out this nationwide reshuffle?
The BJP said the appointments are aimed at strengthening the party's organisational network ahead of future electoral and organisational programmes. Several leaders have been given dual or multiple state responsibilities under the restructuring.
Who is the BJP in-charge for Maharashtra and West Bengal?
Baijayant Jay Panda has been named BJP in-charge for Maharashtra, while Sunil Bansal has been given dual responsibility for both West Bengal and Telangana. Bansal is considered one of the party's most seasoned organisational strategists.
What are the new media and communication appointments in the BJP?
BJP national president Nitin Nabin has appointed Ashish Usha Agrawal as convenor of the media department and Anil Baluni as co-ordinator of the communication department, as part of the broader organisational overhaul announced on 23 September 2026.
