Ram Madhav Back In The Game? Vinod Tawde Strengthened As Nitin Nabin Takes Charge

Last Updated:January 21, 2026, 11:56 IST

Beyond the optics of authority, Nabin’s latest appointments reveal deeper clues about how BJP under him may function & which leaders are likely to matter more in the coming months

Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitates newly elected BJP President Nitin Nabin as the latter takes charge at party headquarters, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)

Within hours of formally taking charge as BJP’s national president, Nitin Nabin moved with striking speed. Even before the ceremonial dust had settled after he assumed office in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, taking over from JP Nadda on Tuesday afternoon, Nabin announced a slew of organisational appointments. The most consequential among them were the appointment of election in-charges and co-incharges for the upcoming Kerala assembly elections, alongside similar appointments for key municipal contests such as Telangana’s local body elections and the Greater Bengaluru Corporation polls.

At one level, the message was unmistakable: Nabin wasted no time in asserting authority. By acting within hours, he left little ambiguity about who the new “boss" is.

But beyond the optics of authority, these appointments reveal deeper clues about how the BJP under Nabin may function—and which leaders are likely to matter more in the coming months.

BJP AS A PERPETUAL ELECTION MACHINE

The first, and perhaps most obvious, takeaway is a reaffirmation of how the BJP sees itself: as a perpetual election machine. By simultaneously announcing appointments for a full-fledged assembly election in Kerala and municipal elections in places like Telangana and Bengaluru, the party reinforced a long-standing principle—no election is too small to merit the central leadership’s attention.

In the BJP’s ecosystem, municipal and local body elections are not treated as footnotes. They are testing grounds for organisational strength, messaging discipline, and cadre mobilisation. Nabin’s early decisions underline continuity on this front: the party will continue to approach every electoral contest—state or municipal—with the same seriousness, planning rigour, and central oversight.

IMPORTANCE OF BEING VINOD TAWDE

The second, and more politically revealing, takeaway is the renewed prominence of BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde in the Nabin era. The most important appointment—that of state election in-charge for Kerala—went to Tawde, a signal not lost on party insiders.

Tawde’s recent track record explains the confidence being reposed in him. As election in-charge for the Bihar assembly polls, he oversaw a campaign that culminated in the NDA returning to power with a comfortable majority. That success appears to have strengthened his standing within the organisation.

Under Nabin, Tawde’s responsibilities have not merely expanded; they have diversified. In addition to Kerala, he has also been appointed election observer for the Chandigarh Mayor election—a role that, while local in scale, is politically sensitive and symbolically important. Observers are entrusted with crisis management, coordination, and damage control.

If first impressions matter, then the early signals are clear: Tawde is emerging as one of the key organisational pillars of the Nabin presidency. His influence—both in strategic decision-making and in election management—is likely to grow.

RAM MADHAV’S RETURN?

Yet, the most intriguing—and politically loaded—signal from Nabin’s first set of decisions is the re-emergence of Ram Madhav.

Once among the most powerful faces in the BJP’s organisation, Madhav served as national general secretary from 2014 to 2020. During that period, he played a pivotal role in managing sensitive political theatres, including Jammu & Kashmir and North East, and was seen as part of the party’s core strategic team. However, in September 2020, he was dropped from the organisation in a major reshuffle announced by then BJP president Nadda.

Since then, Madhav largely stayed away from day-to-day organisational politics, associating himself with the think tank India Foundation and remaining on the fringes of active election management. His brief return as election in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir in August 2024—given his long-standing association with the region—was widely seen as a limited, issue-specific role rather than a full comeback.

Nabin’s decision changes that perception.

According to a party notification issued by general secretary Arun Singh, Madhav has now been appointed as the election in-charge for the Greater Bengaluru Corporation elections, with Satish Poonia and Sanjay Upadhyay as co-incharges. Crucially, the notification explicitly states that the appointments were made by Nabin.

For many within the party, this raises an obvious question: is Ram Madhav making a comeback?

While one appointment does not automatically translate into a full organisational return, the choice of Bengaluru—a politically complex, urban battleground—suggests renewed trust.

If these early signals are any indication, Nabin appears willing to reshuffle internal equations—strengthening trusted performers like Tawde while reopening the door for seasoned strategists like Madhav and ensuring that the party enters every election, big or small, in full campaign mode from day one.

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