BJP president Nitin Nabin has revamped the party's national team, appointing Deepak Mhaske as social media convener and Anil Baluni as media coordinator.
Mhaske will be assisted by four social media co-convenors.
The wider reshuffle gives key roles to leaders including Smriti Irani, Vasundhara Raje, Ram Madhav, Piyush Goyal and Baijayant Panda.
The BJP has revamped its national organisational team under party president Nitin Nabin, bringing in new faces while retaining several experienced leaders as the party prepares for elections in several states.
Among the key appointments, Deepak Mhaske has been named the BJP's social media convener. He will be assisted by Priti Gandhi, Shivanand Dwivedi, Alok Bhatt and Arun Yadav as social media co-convenors.
The party has also given former Union minister Anil Baluni responsibility for its communications strategy as media coordinator. He will be assisted by Ashish Usha Agarwal, Pradeep Bhandari and Siddharth Yadav as joint coordinators.
New Social Media And Communications Team
The changes come as political parties increasingly depend on social media and digital platforms to communicate directly with voters, particularly ahead of elections.
The BJP's new social media team is notable for the absence of Amit Malviya, who has long been associated with the party's IT operations. His profile on X, however, continues to describe him as the in-charge of the BJP's National Information and Technology Department.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the newly appointed leaders after the announcement, saying the new team combined "organisational experience, energy and grassroots connect".
The appointments are expected to give the party's digital and communications machinery a fresh push as it seeks to maximise its outreach during upcoming elections.
Who Is Amit Malviya?
Since his appointment in 2015 under the presidentship of Amit Shah, Malviya has been the face of the BJP on social media.
For years, Malviya has played a key role in shaping the BJP’s online messaging, social-media campaigns and digital outreach. He was also appointed co-in-charge of the BJP’s West Bengal affairs in 2020, putting him at the centre of the party’s digital and political campaign against the Trinamool Congress.
Malviya has also been a frequent and combative voice in political debates on social media, particularly on X, where he has more than 850,000 followers. His role in the BJP’s digital campaign has made him a prominent target of criticism from opposition parties, particularly over allegations concerning misinformation and online political narratives.
Malviya's Reaction
In his first reaction after the appointment of his successor, Malviya expressed his gratitude to the BJP’s social media supporters for their backing during his 11 years as head of the department.
“I have had the privilege of working closely with each of them over the last decade,” Malviya said, referring to Mhaskey and the new co-convenors.
He also expressed confidence in the BJP's new social media team to achieve newer milestones.
"I am confident that under their leadership, the BJP’s digital communication will achieve newer milestones and continue to shape India’s public discourse with conviction, creativity and clarity," he said.
