The new team of BJP's new national president Nitin Nabin has been announced. There is a lot of discussion about the faces included in this team from Uttar Pradesh.
His background and his influence in the state politics are being assessed and analyzed. This analysis is even more important because only six months are left for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and this is also the biggest electoral field in Indian politics.
Along with 80 Lok Sabha seats, UP's share in the total 543 seats of the country is about 15 percent. The 2027 assembly elections will not just be a contest for power in Lucknow, its results will also be considered indicative for the national politics of 2029.
This is why it becomes important to know about the faces included in Nitin Nabin's team.
Among them is former Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is not originally from Uttar Pradesh, but her political base is here. Apart from him, Nitin Nabin's new team includes two-time MP from Basti Harish Dwivedi, former MP from Dhaurahra seat Rekha Verma, Rajya Sabha MPs Sangeeta Yadav and Amarpal Maurya, Bulandshahr MP Dr. Bhola Singh, former Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor and BJP Minority Morcha President Kunwar Basit Ali.
Apart from these eight names, there is also discussion about Maharashtra leader Vinod Tawde, who has been made in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.
At the same time, Dr. Swadesh Singh of Pratapgarh has been made the national minister of the party. He is being seen as youth representation in the organization.
At present, if we look at the main eight names, then the party is trying to give representation to different social groups, from women to OBC, Dalit, Brahmin and Muslim communities.
Senior journalists who understand the politics of the state also point towards this and say that this is a decision taken keeping in mind the upcoming elections.
But BJP refuses to see it as a response to any election or opposition strategy. BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi says that UP's big stake in the national organization is not directly related to the elections.
"The national team of BJP is not made to counter the narrative of any regional party. Uttar Pradesh is a very important state politically. The maximum number of 80 Lok Sabha seats come from here. In this respect, the role of Uttar Pradesh is big and Uttar Pradesh has got participation in the national team in the same proportion."
However, Tripathi also believes that the announcement of the new team before the elections definitely creates enthusiasm among the workers and the party is hopeful of getting its benefit in the elections.
"This has nothing to do directly with the elections. But it definitely brings enthusiasm among the BJP workers... We will definitely benefit from this energy in the elections."
What is the message behind these appointments?
According to senior journalist Anand Rai, the key organizational faces included from UP in the new national team of BJP should not be seen only as personal appointments. According to him, there is a hidden attempt to balance regional, caste and women's representation.
He says that BJP has organizationally divided UP into six regions - Kashi, Gorakhpur, Awadh, Kanpur-Bundelkhand, Braj and Western region. The faces included in the new team represent these different areas.
Smriti Irani comes from Kashi region, Harish Dwivedi comes from Eastern UP/Gorakhpur region, while Rekha Verma comes from Rohilkhand region. In this way, regional balance has also been kept in mind in appointments.
Among those whose appointment is special, he keeps the name of Harish Dwivedi prominent.
Anand says, “Harish ji is a man of organization. His political journey started from Vidyarthi Parishad and reached BJP Yuva Morcha and then the National Organization. Dwivedi, who has been a Lok Sabha MP twice, had lost the elections in 2024, but despite this the party has given him the important responsibility of National General Secretary. A major reason behind this can be seen as his coming from the Brahmin community and his attempt to promote a relatively young face.
BBC spoke to Harish Dwivedi on phone. On getting the post of National General Secretary in the organization, he says, "BJP is a cadre based party and whatever responsibility the party gives is given only considering the qualifications and capabilities of the workers. I have been continuously blessed by the organization. Even now I am in-charge of Assam and I was also made in-charge of local body elections in Rajasthan, so the party keeps giving responsibilities keeping in mind the work.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has been accusing BJP and Yogi Adityanath government of being anti-Brahmin on several occasions in the last few years. After the Vikas Dubey encounter in 2020, he linked it to the narrative of increasing insecurity and alleged discrimination among Brahmins. After this, he also raised issues like abolition of Parshuram Jayanti holiday and political participation of Brahmins.
Now in 2026, Akhilesh has linked 'P' with 'backward' and 'victim' with 'Pandit' in his 'PDA' formula and said that Brahmins in UP are in 'pain'.
Interestingly, there are signs of concern within the BJP regarding this narrative. Party leaders had discussed the perception of resentment among Brahmins in 2020-21, and separate meetings of Brahmin MLAs in recent months and growing political turmoil over the community have alerted the party leadership. However, there is also an argument within the BJP that Brahmins have got adequate representation in the organization and the government.
And taking this argument forward, Harish Dwivedi says, "Other parties feel that by creating such a narrative against BJP, they can get electoral benefits. But overall, be it Brahmin community or any other society, at present everyone is with BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
But senior journalist Anand Rai connects it to BJP's preparations for 2027.
He says, “The success of SP through PDA in 2024 has boosted the morale of the opposition. Congress and SP seem to be preparing to fight together in 2027 and the success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections inspires them to continue this alliance. In such a situation, the new team of BJP can also be seen as an attempt to strengthen its social and regional balance in response to PDA.
An attempt to woo Pasmanda Muslims?
On the other hand, by giving important responsibilities in the organization to Tariq Mansoor and Kunwar Basit Ali, BJP has indicated its efforts to increase its reach among Pasmanda Muslims.
However, in the case of Tariq Mansoor, this is not a new appointment. Former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Mansoor was already the National Vice President of BJP and he has been retained on the same post in the new team. At the same time, Kunwar Basit Ali is the President of Minority Front of BJP and he has been given responsibility at the national level also.
Senior journalist Anand Rai says, "BJP hopes that the party can make its place among the Pasmanda Muslims who are among the beneficiaries of its welfare schemes. This effort is visible only at the national level. If we look at the state level, the Chief Minister of the state insists only on doing Hindutva politics. In such a situation, this move of the organization does not seem to have any significant impact."
Election data also shows that the impact of this effort has been limited so far.
Is Smriti Irani's return connected to UP elections?
Talking about Smriti Irani, senior journalist Sharat Pradhan says that her return to the national organization should also be seen in the context of the upcoming assembly elections in UP. She is one of the prominent women leaders of BJP and also a good orator, but her appointment has come at a time when there has been constant discussion about the relations between the Center and UP leadership. He believes that both Irani and Yogi Adityanath are influential and aggressive leaders, so coordination between them in UP will not be easy.
However, he also expresses some concern about Smriti's appointment.
Pradhan says, “Yogi is also very dominating and Smriti Irani is more dominating than him. "I don't think coordination will happen easily."
According to him, the question regarding Smriti's role in UP will remain whether she will only perform organizational responsibilities or her interference will also increase in the politics of the state.
He also considers the old differences existing between the central and state leadership of BJP as one of the reasons for this. According to Pradhan, Smriti is seen as a face close to the central leadership, whereas there has been speculation many times in the past about the Centre's relations with Yogi Adityanath.
In such a situation, he believes that after Smriti's appointment, there may remain some kind of doubt regarding her role in UP BJP.
However, he also does not completely dismiss Smriti's personal political power. She became a big face of BJP after defeating Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in 2019, but she had to face defeat on the same seat in 2024.
Now after that defeat, him getting the responsibility of National General Secretary is a political message in itself. Recent reports have also seen her return as an attempt to increase the party's reach among women and popular voters ahead of the UP elections.
What will be the effect?
According to senior journalist Sharat Pradhan, it will not be enough to look at the faces included in the new team from UP only from the perspective of social representation. He says that giving place to the leader of a community in the organization will be effective only when he has real influence and popularity in that community.
He says, "Just by showing that he has become a Dalit, he has become backward, it will not work. What matters is the popularity of that person in his community."
