After nearly 30 months, the Rajasthan BJP has filled one of its most important organisational positions, appointing Ajaey Kumar as organisational general secretary. The move comes at a time when the party faces a politically sensitive challenge of its own making—the repeated postponement of panchayati raj and urban local body elections.
Whenever these elections are held, they will become the first major mid-term assessment of the Bhajan Lal Sharma government and the BJP’s grassroots strength since its assembly poll victory in December 2023. More importantly, the appointment indicates that the BJP leadership has started looking beyond governance and towards the political battles leading up to the 2028 state elections.
Kumar, who has previously worked in Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh, wasted little time after taking charge. In his first interactions with BJP workers, he asked them not to go by the social media hype about his abilities and emphasised that the party president has a decisive say. He urged workers not to welcome him with garlands, bouquets, gifts, sweets or posters, banners and hoardings carrying his photograph.
The message was significant because it echoed a similar appeal recently made by former Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia, who has been nominated by the BJP for the Rajya Sabha. Poonia asked supporters not to spend money on bouquets and celebrations and suggested that anyone wishing to honour him instead donate the amount to a charitable cause and present him with the receipt of the donation.
The symbolism is unlikely to be missed within the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ecosystem, where simplicity and organisational discipline are often projected as political virtues.
Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma welcomed the appointment, saying Kumar’s arrival would bring “new energy” to the party organisation.
That “energy” would be needed. The post of BJP organisational general secretary has remained vacant since Chandrashekhar was shifted to Telangana after the 2023 assembly polls. Although credited with strengthening the BJP organisation and reducing the influence of rival power centres, his tenure also attracted criticism over ticket distribution and organisational decisions.
The BJP leadership’s move not to immediately appoint a successor was widely seen as deliberate. Sharma was a first-time MLA and an unexpected choice for chief minister. Leaving the organisational general secretary position vacant allowed the new government time to stabilise without the emergence of another powerful power centre.
Instead, the BJP appointed Madan Rathore as state president by replacing C.P. Joshi. Rathore’s relatively low-profile style helped maintain internal balance at a time when the leadership was still calibrating equations within the state unit. However, the absence of an organisational general secretary was felt during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
While the BJP retained a dominant position nationally, its performance in Rajasthan fell short of expectations. Within the party, many leaders privately acknowledge that the absence of a strong organisational coordinator had weakened the Lok Sabha poll campaign and contributed to problems in selection of candidates.
Kumar’s appointment comes at a time when the Rajasthan BJP continues to balance multiple centres of influence. Besides Sharma, there is the organisational structure, the RSS and the continuing political relevance of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. Though no longer at the centre of organisational decision-making, Raje continues to command influence among sections of legislators and party workers.
Kumar’s arrival may also recalibrate the BJP’s interaction with the RSS. During the prolonged vacancy, the influence of RSS prant pracharak Nimba Ram became increasingly visible. While the Sangh and BJP function in coordination, the organisational general secretary traditionally serves as an important institutional bridge between the two.
Meanwhile, attention is gradually shifting from organisation to governance. Within BJP circles, speculation about a cabinet reshuffle refuses to die down. Several legislators privately complain that some ministers have failed to make a political impact while others are viewed as inaccessible or ineffective.
Several first-time BJP MLAs are also positioning themselves for future opportunities, arguing that the government needs a more energetic public face before the party enters the next electoral cycle. The immediate political calendar offers another clue about the BJP’s thinking. The party has nominated former state president Satish Poonia and national secretary Alka Gurjar for two Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan. Both belong to influential OBC communities. Poonia is also seen as enjoying strong goodwill within the RSS. Their nominations underline the BJP’s continuing emphasis on organisational loyalty and social representation.
Taken together, the developments point towards a clearer division of responsibilities within the BJP’s Rajasthan strategy. With an organisational general secretary now in place, the party can focus on rebuilding booth-level networks, preparing for panchayat and urban local body elections and managing political mobilisation. The Sharma government, meanwhile, will be expected to concentrate on governance, delivery and public outreach through social and cultural initiatives.
For the BJP, that separation may prove crucial. Governments govern; organisations win elections. After a gap of nearly 30 months, the Rajasthan BJP once again has a full-time organisational mechanism to pursue the latter objective. A political churn has only begun.
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