BJP’s New National Team: Who Are the 10 Women and 6 Minority Leaders in Nitin Nabin’s Line-Up?

New Delhi: The BJP has introduced its new national team, led by party president Nitin Nabin, with a strong emphasis on women's and minority representation. The new lineup includes ten women leaders and six members from minority communities, as well as experienced leaders and young faces from across the country.

The appointments, announced on Monday, also aim to increase the party's regional and social representation, with officials from 23 states and Union territories joining the new national organization.

Who are the 10 women in BJP’s new national team?

The 10 women included in the new organisational set-up are:

1. Smriti Irani: Former Union minister Smriti Irani has been appointed national general secretary.
2. Vasundhara Raje Scindia: Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia has been appointed national vice-president.
3. D. Purandeshwari: Former Union minister D. Purandeshwari has been appointed national vice-president.
4. Rekha Verma: Former National Commission for Women chief Rekha Verma has been appointed national vice-president.
5. Kavita Patidar: Kavita Patidar has been appointed national secretary.
6. Sangeeta Yadav: Sangeeta Yadav has been appointed national secretary.
7. Roop Kumari Choudhary: Roop Kumari Choudhary has been appointed president of the BJP Mahila Morcha.
8. Priti Gandhi: Priti Gandhi has been appointed social media co-convenor.
9. Woman tribal representative from the North-East: The BJP has included a woman among its tribal representatives from the North-East, though her name is not specified in the information available.
10. Woman tribal representative: A second woman is among the tribal representatives from West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra, but her name is not specified in the information available.

The BJP said the 10 women leaders represent different sections and regions of the country and have been included as part of the new national organisational structure.

Which six minority leaders made it to the new team?

The new national team also includes six leaders from minority communities. According to the BJP, the representation comprises one Sikh, two Christian, and one each from the Muslim, Jain, and Parsi faiths. Prof Tariq Mansoor, former vise chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, has been nominated national vice-president, and Kunwar Basit Ali has been chosen president of the BJP Minority Morcha.

Anil Antony, the son of Congress leader A K Antony, has been retained as national secretary. Manpreet Singh Badal, former Punjab finance minister, has also been nominated national vice-president. The BJP stated that the inclusion of representatives from various faith communities was done to ensure that major religious groups are represented in the party's national office.

Which regions and communities get a bigger role?

The new team includes leaders from 23 states and union territories, and the BJP underlines the importance of regional diversity in the new organizational structure.

The Northeast has gotten special attention, with three leaders from Tripura, Assam, and Nagaland joining the team. The party's dedicated Northeast Coordination Cell will continue to operate, led by Sambit Patra. The new lineup also includes four indigenous representatives from West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and the Northeast. Two of the representatives are women. The Scheduled Castes have three delegates, including leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh. 

The BJP hailed the new team as a mix of administrative and organizational experience, youth, regional diversity, and social inclusion. The party stated that more diverse participation will assist the new national leadership in better understanding the country's geographical distinctions and social realities.