Archive · 18 Aug 2026
BJP 3.0 reshuffle: Eight Uttar Pradesh picks target PDA, women
The BJP is a big political party in India.
It is getting ready for elections in a state called Uttar Pradesh.
The party's president picked eight people from Uttar Pradesh to help lead the party.
One of them is Smriti Irani, a famous leader.
Another is Harish Dwivedi, who is a Brahmin.
The party wants to make sure different groups of people are happy.
Some students were upset about new rules from the UGC, and the Supreme Court stopped those rules.
The party also wants to win back support from Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims.
It chose Amarpal Maurya to lead its OBC group and Kunwar Basit Ali to lead its minority group.
The party hopes these choices will help it win the upcoming elections.
BJP president Nitin Nabin inducted eight office-bearers from Uttar Pradesh into the party's central team, one more than the outgoing team.
Smriti Irani was inducted, and Harish Dwivedi was appointed a general secretary amid concerns over upper-caste anger on UGC regulations.
Amarpal Maurya was named national president of the OBC morcha to counter the Samajwadi Party's PDA (Pichchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) pitch.
Kunwar Basit Ali was appointed national president of the minority morcha to increase Muslim trust in the BJP.
Bhola Singh and Sangeeta Yadav were made national secretaries, while Rekha Verma and Tariq Mansoor were retained as national vice-presidents.
- Who
- BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who inducted eight office-bearers from Uttar Pradesh including Smriti Irani, Harish Dwivedi, Amarpal Maurya, Kunwar Basit Ali, Bhola Singh, Sangeeta Yadav, Rekha Verma, and Tariq Mansoor.
- What
- An organisational reshuffle of the BJP's central team with eight Uttar Pradesh picks, aimed at countering the Opposition's PDA pitch and addressing caste and community concerns.
- When
- Ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections; the UGC regulations were notified in January.
- Where
- Uttar Pradesh, India; the appointments are to the BJP's national (central) team.
- Why
- To counter the Samajwadi Party's PDA (Pichchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) narrative, address upper-caste anger over UGC regulations, and strengthen outreach to Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims.
BJP leadership's view
Opposition and critics' view
UGC regulations
BJP leadership's view
The UGC regulations were meant to address discrimination, including caste-based prejudice, in higher education institutions.
Opposition and critics' view
Sections of mostly upper-caste students protested and demanded their withdrawal; the Supreme Court stayed the regulations, and the BJP leadership believed upper-caste distress over them contributed to its Bankipur bypoll defeat.
Muslim outreach
BJP leadership's view
Appointing Kunwar Basit Ali as minority morcha president sends a positive message to Muslims and will help increase their trust in the BJP.
Opposition and critics' view
Some Muslims are upset with the bulldozer action in UP; if they unite behind a single party such as the SP, BSP or Congress, it will create a challenge for the BJP.
Caste and PDA politics
BJP leadership's view
The BJP's appointments of Dalit, OBC, and Muslim leaders aim to obstruct the Opposition's efforts to wean away Dalit and Most Backward Class support and neutralise any chinks in its Upper Caste vote bank.
Opposition and critics' view
The Samajwadi Party's PDA (Pichchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) pitch seeks to win over Dalit and Most Backward Class voters.
- Party
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- UP office-bearers inducted
- 8 (one more than outgoing team)
- Key new appointments
- Smriti Irani, Harish Dwivedi (general secretary), Amarpal Maurya (OBC morcha president), Kunwar Basit Ali (minority morcha president)
- Retained
- Rekha Verma and Tariq Mansoor as national vice-presidents
- New national secretaries
- Bhola Singh and Sangeeta Yadav
- Dropped
- Laxmikant Bajpai as national vice-president
- Context
- Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching
- UGC regulations
- Notified in January; stayed by the Supreme Court