AHMEDABAD: With the 2027 Assembly elections on the horizon, Gujarat BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma has reshuffled the party’s power centre, dropping 39 old faces and inducting 19 women alongside veterans.
On Monday, the BJP officially announced its new state executive and special executive. “This is not just an executive, it is an election-ready structure,” senior BJP sources said.
With local body elections approaching and the 2027 Assembly elections looming large, the new executive is being seen as the president’s first real performance report card. The composition of the team suggests that the BJP is no longer in a comfort zone it is in campaign mode.
One of the most politically significant moves is the inclusion of senior leader and former Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala in the executive. After nearly a decade away from active Gujarat politics, Vala’s return is being viewed as both symbolic and strategic.
BJP insiders openly claim that his induction is aimed at cooling internal turbulence in Rajkot, which intensified after the death of former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. “Vajubhai Vala’s stature and acceptability can silence factional noise,” a party functionary remarked.
Alongside this, the executive balances experience with continuity.
Heavyweights such as MP Parsottam Rupala, former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, former ministers R C Faldu, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, Dilip Sanghani, and MP Narhari Amin have been accommodated, ensuring that institutional memory is not sacrificed in the process of change. Veteran leaders Darshanaben Jardosh, Bhanuben Babaria, Gautam Shah, and Ritwij Patel also feature, reinforcing the party’s reliance on seasoned political operators.
Yet, the sharpest signal of change lies in who has been shown the door.
As many as 39 leaders from the old executive have been dropped, a move widely interpreted as a clear warning against complacency.
At the same time, 19 women leaders have been inducted, projecting organisational inclusivity while strengthening grassroots outreach an area BJP considers critical in the coming electoral cycle.
For Jagdish Vishwakarma, this executive is more than a team it is a political gamble. If the organisation tightens, delivers in local elections, and sets the narrative early for 2027, this reshuffle will be hailed as a masterstroke. If not, the same team could become the focal point of internal scrutiny.