Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced a significant organizational reshuffle on Monday, replacing its long-standing social media chief. Amit Malviya, who had directed the party’s digital operations since 2015, has been succeeded by Deepak Mhaskey. While the party provided limited details regarding Mhaskey’s specific mandate, his professional background includes serving as a party spokesperson and leading the information technology cell in central India.
This transition marks the first major structural change overseen by Nitin Nabin, who assumed the role of BJP president in January. At 45, Nabin is the party’s youngest leader, and the move is widely viewed as a generational pivot intended to help the party better connect with young voters. Nabin noted that the broader reorganization is designed to strengthen the party’s internal structure and provide it with “new momentum,” though he did not outline specific changes to the digital strategy under the new leadership.
The leadership change follows weeks of intense public pressure and youth-led demonstrations across New Delhi and other major cities. These protests were sparked by the leak of question papers for a national medical college entrance exam, which ultimately forced the resignation of then-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25. The movement was largely driven by a satirical social media platform known as the “Cockroach Janta Party.” Emerging in May, the group went viral rapidly, accumulating 15 million followers in less than a week—a figure that significantly eclipsed the BJP’s own social media following of fewer than 9 million.
The protests highlighted the growing influence of Gen Z in the digital space, as demonstrators utilized social media to circulate songs, raps, and videos mocking the government—tactics that have historically been the BJP’s primary method for shaping political discourse. Reflecting on the transition, Malviya expressed confidence in his successor on X, stating, “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.” The report also notes that who took charge in January and, at 45, is the youngest party chief, a generational shift seen as part of the BJP’s efforts to retain young voters, the reshuffle is the first by new BJP president Nitin Nabin.
Source: Khaleej Times
