New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Former Union Minister Smriti Irani has made a significant political comeback, returning to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national organisational leadership as a National General Secretary under BJP president Nitin Nabin.
Irani is among the senior leaders appointed to the BJP’s newly restructured national team. Her return to a key organisational position comes more than two years after her defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Amethi, where she lost to Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma.
Irani had represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha since 2019 after defeating Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the constituency. During her tenure in the Union government, she held important portfolios, including Women and Child Development and Textiles, and became one of the BJP’s most prominent women leaders and national campaigners.
Her latest appointment brings her back into the BJP’s central organisational structure at a strategically important time. The party is preparing for several upcoming state elections, with the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election expected to be one of its major political challenges.
The BJP has separately assigned Vinod Tawde as its Uttar Pradesh in-charge, with Jagdish Ishwarbhai Patel appointed as co-in-charge. Therefore, Irani’s appointment should not be described as giving her sole organisational charge of Uttar Pradesh. Her elevation, however, places her in the party’s national leadership as it prepares for the next major electoral battles.
Irani’s political profile is considered particularly significant because of her experience in campaigning, organisation-building and outreach to women voters. Her victory in Amethi in 2019 established her as a major BJP political figure, while her subsequent ministerial responsibilities gave her extensive experience in the Union government.
Her return also comes as part of a broader organisational restructuring under Nitin Nabin. The BJP’s new national team includes experienced leaders as well as younger faces, reflecting an effort to strengthen the party organisation and prepare for future electoral contests.
For Irani, the appointment represents a return to the BJP’s national organisational frontline following her 2024 electoral defeat. It also signals that the party continues to place value on her political experience, public profile and organisational capabilities.
With the BJP looking ahead to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and other key political contests, Smriti Irani’s new national role is expected to keep her closely involved in the party’s campaign and organisational strategy.
