New Delhi [India], June 16 : An important meeting was held on June 15 at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's residence to ensure coordination among the BJP organisation, the government, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The marathon meeting lasted around four hours.
Besides Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, those present included Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister JP Nadda, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin, General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh, Joint General Secretary (Organisation) Shiv Prakash, and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Arun Kumar attended the meeting on behalf of the RSS and shared the Sangh's views on the issues under discussion.
Sources said discussions focused on increasing the overall number of office bearers at the central level.
Currently, the number of central office bearers could be raised from 45. On the lines of the RSS, regional office bearers may be appointed in every district. Along with this, the number of members in the National Executive and the National Council could also be increased.
The meeting was considered a key exercise ahead of the announcement of the BJP President's new national team and a possible reshuffle in the central government. Speculation is rife because Nitin Nabin's new team is yet to be announced.
As per sources, the main focus of the discussion was the formation of the BJP's new central team. Sources said several leaders could be shifted between organisational and government roles as part of a reshuffle.
BJP President Nitin Nabin may announce his new team soon, in which young and new faces are likely to be given prominence. The meeting involved in-depth deliberations on expanding the organisational structure and assigning new responsibilities to workers and office bearers.
Last month, the BJP appointed new presidents for its state units in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Tripura. Minister of State Harsh Malhotra was named president of the BJP's Delhi unit, Kewal Singh Dhillon was appointed the Punjab unit president, and Archana Gupta will lead the Haryana unit. Abhishek Debroy was also appointed head of the Tripura state unit. These selections were finalised under the direction of the party's national president, Nitin Nabin.
These appointments indicate a significant reshuffle within the BJP's central team as the party prepares for the Assembly elections next year in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh.
The party aims to retain power in Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Manipur amid the ongoing ethnic violence, while seeking to unseat the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab and the Congress in Himachal Pradesh.