The BJP has made a significant change to its organisational leadership in Kerala, replacing former Union minister Prakash Javadekar with Karnataka leader M Nagaraj as the party’s state in-charge. Tamil Nadu-based national secretary M Venkatesan has been appointed co-in-charge.

The appointments are part of a wider organisational restructuring announced by BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday, with changes made across several states and Union territories. The reshuffle comes ahead of assembly elections scheduled in a number of states in 2027.

The latest appointments also see several Kerala-origin BJP leaders taking up responsibilities outside the state. Former Kerala BJP president and national secretary K Surendran has been assigned charge of Puducherry. National secretary Anil Antony will be responsible for Nagaland and will also serve as co-in-charge of Goa, while former Union minister and national secretary George Kurian has been given responsibility for Lakshadweep.

The decision to place Nagaraj and Venkatesan in charge of Kerala brings two leaders from neighbouring southern states into the party’s organisational structure in the state. Both have largely built their profiles through organisational responsibilities rather than high public visibility.

Nagaraj, who has an RSS and ABVP background, previously served as Karnataka BJP vice-president and handled organisational responsibilities in Dharwad. His work has included efforts to expand the party’s organisational infrastructure, including a project involving the establishment of 39 BJP offices across Karnataka.

Venkatesan, who is from Tamil Nadu, was among the BJP leaders appointed national secretaries in August. He has been involved in strengthening the party’s grassroots network in Tamil Nadu and expanding its outreach activities.

The leadership change follows Javadekar’s tenure during an important period for the BJP in Kerala. Under his stewardship, the party secured its first Lok Sabha seat in the state in the 2024 general election, with Suresh Gopi winning from Thrissur. The NDA also recorded a notable increase in its vote share during the election. Javadekar continued as the Kerala in-charge during the 2026 Assembly election, with Aparajita Sarangi serving as co-in-charge.

The new appointments consequently mark a change in the BJP’s organisational team in Kerala, with the party now placing greater responsibility on leaders whose work has primarily been focused on organisational expansion and grassroots mobilisation.

Their approach, priorities and areas of focus in Kerala are likely to become clearer as they begin their new responsibilities and engage with the party’s state and district-level organisation.