BJP overhauls national team: Smriti Irani, Vasundhara Raje, Piyush Goyal get key roles
Synopsis
The BJP's biggest organisational overhaul in recent memory puts Smriti Irani back at the centre of party machinery as national general secretary, signals a rehabilitation of Vasundhara Raje and Ram Madhav, and hands Piyush Goyal the treasurer's role — a reshuffle with clear implications for the party's state election strategy.
Key Takeaways
BJP national president Nitin Nabin announced a sweeping organisational reshuffle on 17 August 2026 , effective immediately.
Smriti Irani appointed national general secretary , marking her return to the BJP's core organisational structure.
Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Ram Madhav named among 13 national vice presidents .
Piyush Goyal takes charge as national treasurer ; Rajesh Mangal as joint treasurer.
BL Santhosh continues as national general secretary (Organisation) , retaining his pivotal role.
The reshuffle covers 16 national secretaries , 7 morcha presidents , and a full media and social media coordination team.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 17 August 2026 announced a sweeping reshuffle of its national organisational structure, naming a fresh set of office-bearers with immediate effect. The appointments were authorised by BJP national president Nitin Nabin and span general secretaries, vice presidents, morcha heads, and media coordinators across the country.
High-Profile Returns and Appointments
Smriti Irani, the former Union minister who lost her Amethi seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has been appointed national general secretary — marking a significant return to the party's core organisational machinery. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the veteran Rajasthan leader and two-time chief minister, has been named one of 13 national vice presidents, alongside Ram Madhav from Delhi, who returns to a prominent national role. Piyush Goyal, the former Union Commerce Minister from Maharashtra, has been appointed national treasurer.
General Secretaries and Organisational Structure
The general secretary team includes Vinod Tawde (Maharashtra), Sunil Bansal (Delhi), Biplab Kumar Deb (Tripura), Satish Poonia (Rajasthan), Gajendra Patel (Madhya Pradesh), Harish Dwivedi (Uttar Pradesh), and Sanjay Bhatia (Haryana). BL Santhosh from Delhi continues in the pivotal role of national general secretary (Organisation). The national joint general secretaries (Organisation) are Shivprakash from Mumbai and Saudan Singh from Chandigarh.
Vice Presidents and Treasurer
The full list of 13 national vice presidents includes Tirath Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand), Baijayant Jay Panda (Odisha), D. Purandeswari (Andhra Pradesh), Rekha Verma (Uttar Pradesh), Varshaben Narendrabhai Doshi (Gujarat), Bharti Pravin Pawar (Maharashtra), Manpreet Singh Badal (Punjab), Lal Singh Arya (Madhya Pradesh), M. Nagaraja (Karnataka), Tariq Mansoor (Uttar Pradesh), and Madhuchandra Kar (West Bengal). Rajesh Mangal from Rajasthan will serve as national joint treasurer.
Secretaries, Morcha Heads, and Media Team
A team of 16 national secretaries has been named, including Kavita Patidar (Madhya Pradesh), K Surendran (Kerala), Anil Antony (Kerala), Phangnon Konyak (Nagaland), and Rohan Gupta (Gujarat), among others. In the organisational support structure, Tarun Chugh (Punjab) has been appointed central office in-charge, while Sambit Patra (Odisha) will coordinate the North-East. Vishnu Datt Sharma (Madhya Pradesh) takes charge as all-cells coordinator.
Morcha presidents named include Hemang Joshi (Gujarat) for the Yuva Morcha, Roop Kumari Choudhary (Chhattisgarh) for the Mahila Morcha, Amarpal Maurya (Uttar Pradesh) for the OBC Morcha, and Kunwar Basit Ali (Uttar Pradesh) for the Minority Morcha. On the media front, Anil Baluni (Uttarakhand) has been appointed Media Convenor, with Deepak Mhaskey (Chhattisgarh) leading social media coordination.
Significance of the Reshuffle
The overhaul reflects a deliberate geographical spread, drawing leaders from states including West Bengal, Nagaland, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu — signalling the party's intent to strengthen its presence beyond its traditional strongholds. Notably, the return of senior figures like Irani, Raje, and Ram Madhav alongside newer faces suggests an attempt to balance experience with fresh energy ahead of upcoming state elections. The new team is expected to drive BJP's organisational outreach across all tiers of the country's electoral map.
Point of View
Elevating Vasundhara Raje to vice president keeps her visible at the national level while keeping her at arm's length from Rajasthan's state leadership. The breadth of the list — from Nagaland's Phangnon Konyak to Tamil Nadu's M. Venkateshan — suggests the party is consciously building an all-India optic ahead of a packed election calendar. Whether these appointments translate into genuine ground-level coordination or remain largely ceremonial is the question the BJP's opponents will be watching closely.
NationPress
17 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BJP national office-bearer reshuffle of August 2026?
On 17 August 2026, BJP national president Nitin Nabin announced a comprehensive overhaul of the party's national organisational structure, naming new general secretaries, vice presidents, a treasurer, secretaries, morcha heads, and media coordinators, all effective immediately.
What role has Smriti Irani been given in the BJP reshuffle?
Smriti Irani has been appointed BJP national general secretary, returning her to a key organisational role in the party's national structure after her defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi.
Who are the new BJP national vice presidents?
The BJP has named 13 national vice presidents, including Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Ram Madhav, Tirath Singh Rawat, Baijayant Jay Panda, D. Purandeswari, Rekha Verma, Bharti Pravin Pawar, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tariq Mansoor, and Madhuchandra Kar, among others.
What is Piyush Goyal's new role in the BJP?
Piyush Goyal, the former Union Commerce Minister from Maharashtra, has been appointed BJP national treasurer. Rajesh Mangal from Rajasthan will serve alongside him as national joint treasurer.
Who continues as BJP national general secretary (Organisation)?
BL Santhosh from Delhi continues in the pivotal role of national general secretary (Organisation), retaining his position in the party's core organisational hierarchy.
