By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 15 Sep: After weeks of deliberation and consultation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its new state executive team in Uttarakhand, entrusting responsibilities to 42 office-bearers. The fresh formation is significant as the party looks ahead to the 2027 Vidhan Sabha elections, aiming for a third consecutive victory in the state, which remains a huge challenge in the eyes of political analysts. While the new line-up seeks to give priority to younger leaders and, also, increases the representation of women, it is equally evident that certain familiar figures have managed to secure important positions once again, owing to their proximity to influential leaders within the organisation.
Sources in the party claim that the new team formation has been a balanced exercise, designed to reflect regional equity between the hills and the plains, ensure participation of leaders close to Members of Parliament, and also highlight the inclusion of youth and women. For the first time, five women have been given significant responsibilities in the state executive. At the same time, a considerable number of those selected are in the age group of 40 to 50 years, reflecting the organisation’s attempt to blend experience with energy in preparation for 2027 assembly polls.
Some political analysts concede that they were not expecting a significant reshuffle in the party organisation, particularly in view of the fact that the party had chosen to retain Mahendra Bhatt as its state president. However, the new state executive represents a major overhaul.
Sources claimed that, on the instructions of BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt, the appointments were finalised and announced after long deliberations. Deepti Rawat, Kundan Parihar and Tarun Bansal have been elevated as State General Secretaries, while eight party leaders have been appointed as State Vice Presidents and another eight as State Secretaries. Puneet Mittal has been reappointed as State Treasurer, while Manveer Singh Chauhan, who has overseen media management during the 2022 Vidhan Sabha and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has once again been trusted with the role of Media In-charge for a third consecutive term. Ruchi Bhatt has been made President of the Mahila Morcha, and appointments have been made across other organisational fronts.
It is for the first time since the formation of Uttarakhand as a separate state that a woman leader has been appointed a party general secretary. Deepti Rawat has earlier held other positions in the party as well as has held a Lal Batti Post when Trivendra Singh Rawat was the CM. She is considered to be a dynamic young face of the party and has held positions in Delhi University Students Union while being part of ABVP.
The newly appointed Vice Presidents include Anil Goyal from Dehradun, Rajendra Singh Bisht from Nainital, Shripal Rana from Udham Singh Nagar, Asha Nautiyal from Rudraprayag, former MLA Yatishwaranand from Haridwar Rural, Shailendra Singh Bisht from Kotdwar, Rakesh Giri from Roorkee and Swaraj Vidwan from Uttarkashi. The State General Secretaries are Deepti Rawat from Pauri Garhwal, Kundan Parihar from Bageshwar and Tarun Bansal from Nainital. The State Secretaries are Satish Lakheda from Chamoli, Aditya Chauhan from Dehradun, Nalin Bhatt from Tehri Garhwal, Deepika Bohra from Pithoragarh, Neha Joshi from Dehradun, Gunjan Sukhija from Kashipur, Nirmal Mehra from Champawat and Gaurav Pandey from Almora.
Other key appointments include Puneet Mittal as State Treasurer, Saket Agarwal from Nainital as State Co-Treasurer, Jagmohan Rawat from Kotdwar as State Office Secretary, Kaustubhanand Joshi from Nainital as State Cell Convener, Sachin Agarwal from Haridwar as State Cell Co-Convener, Suresh Joshi from Pithoragarh as State Chief Spokesperson and Manveer Singh Chauhan from Uttarkashi as State Media Convener. State Media Co-Conveners are Vinay Goyal, Rajendra Negi, Pradeep Janoti and Vikas Tiwari. Himanshu Sangtani has been made State Social Media Convener, with Karun Datta, Gaurav Singh, Gandhar Agarwal and Lal Singh Koranga as Co-Conveners. The State IT Convener is Praveen Lekhwar.
A notable feature of the new team is the significant representation of Kumaon. A total of 17 leaders, including six from Nainital district, have been given responsibilities, which many interpret as the party’s attempt to ensure stronger foothold in the hill districts. Leaders such as Rajendra Singh Bisht, Tarun Bansal, Saket Agarwal, Kaustubhanand Joshi and Pradeep Janoti have all been given prominent roles, consolidating Kumaon’s presence in the state executive. Representation has also been balanced from Haridwar, Dehradun and other regions, with four leaders from Haridwar district included in the team.
It is also clear from the list that proximity to senior leaders and MPs has also played a role in the selection process. Several individuals known to be close to Members of Parliament or to key decision-makers in the state have secured influential positions, confirming that internal loyalties remain a crucial factor in the party’s organisational structure. At the same time, the inclusion of young leaders such as Deepti Rawat, Neha Joshi and Dr Swaraj Vidwan, who have worked with the organisation at the national level, is being projected as a move to energise the party’s preparations for the coming polls.
For the first time, a woman, Deepti Rawat, has been appointed as General Secretary. Two women have been made Vice Presidents and two have been appointed as State Secretaries. The party leadership has underlined this as evidence of its commitment to increasing women’s participation in state politics.
Mahendra Bhatt has claimed that the new team is a blend of youth, women and experienced leaders, and that it is fully prepared to achieve “Mission 2027”. He asserted that this team has been created with the aim of strengthening the party organisation ahead of both the Lok Sabha elections and the state assembly polls.
In effect, the announcement of the new state executive marks both continuity and change. It attempts to signal renewal by bringing in younger leaders and women. As Uttarakhand heads into the politically crucial years leading up to 2027 assembly polls, the BJP’s strategy appears to rest on this delicate balancing act.
