Archive · 18 Aug 2026
BJP's New 65-Member Team Balances Youth and Experience for 2029
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a big political group in India.
It picked a new team of leaders for the party.
The team has 65 people, and most of them are around 55 years old.
Only six of them are younger than 40.
The person in charge of the party, Nitin Nabin, is 46 years old.
Some people thought the new team would be much younger than this.
The party wants to listen to young people, because they will vote in the big elections in 2029.
But leaders also want older, experienced people to help guide the new members.
An RSS writer named Ratan Sharda said the mix of young and experienced people is a good idea.
The party hopes this team will help it do well in upcoming elections, like the ones in Uttar Pradesh.
The BJP's new 65-member national team has an average age of around 55, with six members under 40.
Party president Nitin Nabin, aged 46, said the team strikes a balance between continuity and change ahead of the 2029 elections.
Leaders said the team responds to criticism that the party failed to understand Gen Z aspirations, seen during the Jantar Mantar protest.
Eight general secretaries were announced — Vinod Tawde and Sunil Bansal were retained, with Smriti Irani, Biplab Deb, Satish Poonia and Harish Dwivedi among the new names.
RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda defended the team's age profile, saying most functionaries are under 40–45 and experienced guides are still required.
- Who
- BJP president Nitin Nabin and his new 65-member national team, with RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda defending the team's composition.
- What
- The BJP announced a new national team that mixes young and experienced leaders ahead of the 2029 elections.
- When
- Exact date not specified in the article; announced ahead of the 2029 elections and next year's Uttar Pradesh elections.
- Where
- India, with particular focus on New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
- Why
- To balance continuity and change, reach younger voters for the 2029 elections, and address criticism that the party does not understand youth aspirations.
Expectations for a younger team
RSS and BJP leaders defending the mix
Youth composition of the new team
Expectations for a younger team
The new 65-member team has an average age of around 55, and the team under J.P. Nadda was relatively younger, disappointing those who expected a bigger generational shift under a 46-year-old president.
RSS and BJP leaders defending the mix
RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda says most functionaries are under 40 or 45 and the average is pulled up by a few above 60; the party says it is deliberately striking a balance between continuity and change.
Youth appeal versus experienced guidance
Expectations for a younger team
The party faced flak for not understanding youth aspirations, especially Gen Z, and should include as many young faces as possible since the president himself is a millennial.
RSS and BJP leaders defending the mix
Experienced hands are needed to guide newcomers — as Arun Jaitley did in the past — to stop leaders in powerful positions from becoming arrogant, so a mix of ages is intentional.
- Team size
- 65 members
- Average age
- Around 55 years
- Members under 40
- 6
- Members aged 40-49
- 15
- Members aged 50-59
- 21
- Party president
- Nitin Nabin, aged 46
- General secretaries
- 8 total – 2 retained, 6 new (including Smriti Irani, Biplab Deb, Satish Poonia, Harish Dwivedi)
- Key focus
- 2029 elections, youth outreach and greater Uttar Pradesh representation