NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party is undergoing a major organizational overhaul, with critical inputs from three key entities—the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah—shaping its philosophy of the past, present, and future.
The changes, which have already been put in motion, are expected to become visible in the coming days and will also include the decision regarding the new national president, a post that is being held under extension by incumbent Jagat Prakash Nadda since January 2023.
Party leaders stated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, widely regarded as someone who will herald the party in the future, is steering the changes with the help and advice of the RSS leadership and PM Modi.
Known for taking decisions on the basis of long-term strategic reasons rather than short-term goals, Shah is favouring disciplined, low-profile figures to ensure centralized control and alignment—a strategy that has paid rich dividends to the party’s growth in the last decade.
This approach, insiders say, aims to maintain the national leadership’s command of the party and discourage factionalism in a competitive electoral landscape.
Party leaders believe that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections will be the toughest electoral battle that the BJP will fight since 2014 and the appointments will be made keeping this in mind.
The election of the BJP’s national president, which was delayed because of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and state-level organizational elections, is now a key focus. Sources said that possible
names have already been shortlisted—it is no longer a matter of “who”, but “when” the name will be revealed.
Multiple meetings have taken place in the last one week that have been attended by PM Modi, HM Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh.
Sources said that a party functionary who is low-key, has enough organizational and ministry experience, as Nadda had, will be selected for the post of national president rather than a “popular” leader who might rock the boat in the near future, something that the BJP experienced in the past during the late 90s and early 2000s.
BJP’s 2024 Lok Sabha tally of 240 seats has come as a wake-up call for the party to increase its organizational efficiency.
The reshuffle of party unit presidents in states like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, is expected to be announced soon, and it is expected that all of them will be those who have proved their worth in the organization and also are seen as those who know how to work with HM Shah. In Karnataka, where factionalism is an open secret, the party leadership will be selecting a leader who will be able to control dissent rather than be worried about one’s own personal growth.
West Bengal, where the BJP aims to recover from 2024 setbacks, Amit Shah’s recent visits and call to “reclaim lost ground” suggest a preference for a disciplined strategist over a charismatic figure. In Tamil Nadu, Amit Shah finalised the appointment of Nainar Nagenthiran as state president, replacing K. Annamalai.
By redirecting Annamalai’s growing popularity and renewing the BJP-AIADMK alliance, HM Shah bolstered the party’s 2026 election prospects, while keeping regional influence in check.
The changes reflect Amit Shah’s strategy to prioritize electoral precision and ideological coherence over individual stardom.
Shah’s focused approach to governance—evident in his deadline-driven strategy to combat Naxalism—also extends to party management, where leaders are assigned time-bound goals. This discipline, often overlooked by more “popular” leaders, is expected to be a defining factor in the upcoming appointments.