Smriti Irani returns, Ram Madhav made vice-president in major organisational reshuffle
Nagaland Rajya Sabha MP S Phangnon Konyak has been appointed as one of the national secretaries of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as party president Nitin Nabin on Monday announced his new national organisational team.
Konyak is among 16 national secretaries named in the reshuffle, which brings several experienced leaders back into the BJP’s organisation while making changes to its media and social media machinery.
The reshuffle is Nabin’s first major exercise since he took charge as BJP president in January. At 45, Nabin is the youngest person to head the party.
Among the prominent appointments, former Union Minister Smriti Irani has returned as a national general secretary, while former BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has been appointed national vice-president.
Former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Rajya Sabha MP Satish Poonia have also been appointed national general secretaries.
The BJP’s new national team comprises 13 national vice-presidents, eight national general secretaries and 16 national secretaries, along with changes in other organisational positions.
One of the significant changes is in the party’s social media organisation, with Amit Malviya, who had headed the BJP’s Information Technology and social media operations since 2015, being replaced by Deepak Mhaskey.
The BJP did not provide details of Mhaskey’s previous role in its announcement. His LinkedIn profile states that he had served as a party spokesperson and headed its Information Technology cell in central India.
The change comes as social media assumes an increasingly important role in political communication, particularly in reaching younger voters. The BJP has built one of India’s most extensive political communication networks on social media over the past decade.
The new appointments have also prompted discussion over whether Nabin is seeking to place greater emphasis on the BJP’s organisational structure and cadre network.
Author and journalist Saba Naavi described the reshuffle as a significant organisational change and said it appeared to put the focus back on sangathan, while also highlighting the return of leaders such as Irani and Madhav.
The inclusion of Deb and Poonia has also been viewed in the context of their organisational work during recent Assembly elections in West Bengal and Haryana respectively.
Naavi further interpreted the changes as potentially significant ahead of upcoming elections, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, while also pointing to the prominence given to women and minority outreach in the new structure.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulating the new office-bearers, said the team brings together “organisational experience, energy and grassroots connect” and expressed confidence that it would strengthen the party and focus on public service.
Nabin said the changes would strengthen the organisation and give it “new momentum”.
The reshuffle has also drawn criticism from the Opposition, particularly over the BJP’s previous social media strategy. Congress leader Mumtaz Patel welcomed Malviya’s removal but criticised what she described as the party’s earlier approach to political communication.
Alongside newer faces, the new team brings back several experienced leaders who have previously held important positions in the party organisation.
Irani’s return is among the most prominent examples. She had previously served as a BJP national general secretary before moving into the Union government and becoming one of the party’s most recognisable national leaders.
Madhav’s return is significant for another reason. His earlier work as a BJP general secretary included a prominent role in the party’s organisational expansion in the Northeast.
The reshuffle comes with several politically important State elections approaching and ahead of the wider 2027–29 electoral cycle.
