Hemant Khandelwal To Ravindra Chavan: A Look At 9 New BJP State Chiefs

The BJP on Wednesday announced Hemant Kumar Khandelwal as its new chief of the Madhya Pradesh unit, moving closer to picking the replacement of the party's national president, JP Nadda. 

The ruling party has recently announced nine new state heads and has so far conducted elections for 28 states and union territories - nine more than the required number of 19 for the election of the national president - since its internal polls started last year.

The BJP sources, however, said the election of the national president will be conducted only after the successful completion of elections of key states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Haryana, among others.

Here's a look at new BJP state chiefs:

Hemant Khandelwal - Madhya Pradesh

Hemant Khandelwal is currently an MLA from Betul. He has also been an MP from Betul, which was won by his father, late Vijay Khandelwal, four times (1996-2008).

Khandelwal, a two-time MLA, has strong roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and is considered to be close to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

Two-time MLA from Betul, currently serving his second term after regaining the seat in 2023.

The 60-year-old has also served as the BJP's district president of Betul and state party treasurer. He has also headed the Kushabhau Thakre Trust, a key ideological and training wing of the party.

By appointing Mr Khandelwal, the BJP has signalled its outreach to the strong Vaishya community in Madhya Pradesh and has balanced delicate caste balance with an Other Backward Class (OBC) chief minister and an upper caste state president. 

Ravindra Chavan - Maharashtra

Ravindra Chavan is a four-term MLA from Dombivali and has replaced Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

Mr Chavan has held several key portfolios, including Public Works, Food and Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection, in the Maharashtra government. He also served as Guardian Minister for Palghar and Sindhudurg districts.

Mr Chavan, who was appointed Working President of the BJP Maharashtra unit in January, is also seen as a close aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and has strong backing from the RSS.

The 54-year-old also played a crucial role in the formation of the BJP-led coalition government in Maharashtra.

His appointment as the state BJP chief is seen as a strategic move ahead of key local body elections in Mumbai.

Mahendra Bhatt - Uttarakhand

Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt has been reelected as the Uttarakhand BJP president. 

The 53-year-old, who first took over as Uttarakhand BJP chief in 2022, is the only party chief in the state to get a successive term in 25 years.

Mr Bhatt, a two-time MLA, began his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in the early 1990s.

He became the BJP Yuva Morcha's state president in 2000 and served till 2002.

He won his first assembly election in 2002 from Nandprayag and represented the constituency till 2007. In 2017, he won the Badrinath assembly seat. 

With his re-election, the BJP has balanced caste equations in the state, with Pushkar Singh Dhami, a Thakur, as chief minister, and Mr Bhatt, a Brahmin, as state president.

Rajeev Bindal - Himachal Pradesh

Rajeev Bindal now has a rare distinction to be re-elected for a third straight term as the president of the BJP's Himachal Pradesh unit. He is a five-time MLA - three terms from Solan and two from Nahan.

Mr Bindal, 70, has served as the health minister in the Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP government (2007-2012).

He also held the post of speaker of the Himachal Pradesh assembly from 2018 to 2020.

A doctor by profession, Mr Bindal served in Jharkhand under RSS's Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad. He is a close aide of Mr Nadda and the RSS.

PVN Madhav - Andhra Pradesh

PVN Madhav is the BJP's new Andhra Pradesh president and has been tasked with strengthening the party's presence in alliance with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan's Janasena party in the ruling NDA coalition.

His father, PV Chalapati Rao, was the first BJP state president of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

He is a former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), representing the North Andhra Graduates' constituency.

The 51-year-old has held key roles in Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and RSS-affiliated organisations.

He previously served as the general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh BJP.

Mr Madhav represents the Backwards Classes and will help the BJP broaden its social base in Andhra's caste-driven politics.

N Ramchander Rao - Telangana

N Ramchander Rao, a former MLC and senior Supreme Court advocate, will lead the BJP's Telangana unit. He has also served as the chief spokesperson and General Secretary of the BJP in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Mr Rao, 66, has been chosen over high-profile contenders like Etala Rajender and Arvind Dharmapuri. He, however, faced a revolt from senior leader Raja Singh, who quit the party to lodge a strong protest against his appointment.

Backed by the RSS and senior BJP leaders for his loyalty and non-factional image, he is known for bridging old and new factions within the party.

He has also been credited with strengthening the BJP's legal and ideological framework in Telangana.

K Beichhua - Mizoram

K Beichhua, a three-time MLA from Siaha, will lead the BJP's Mizoram faction. 

The 59-year-old, who has served as a medical officer for 16 years, was elected to the assembly from Siaha on a Mizo National Front (MNF) ticket for two consecutive terms in 2013 and 2018. 

He joined the BJP in 2023 after his expulsion from the MNF in January that year and won the seat.

He is one of the two BJP MLAs in the current 40-member Mizoram assembly.

Mr Beichhua was a minister holding various portfolios, including Excise and Narcotics, in the previous MNF dispensation headed by Zoramthanga.

VP Ramalingam - Puducherry

VP Ramalingam, brother of former Congress leader VP Sivakolundhu, is the new BJP's Puducherry unit president.

The 63-year-old industrialist-turned-politician joined the BJP in 2021. He was then nominated as an MLA following the formation of the AINRC-BJP coalition government.

Anil Tiwari - Andaman and Nicobar

Anil Tiwari has been appointed as the BJP's new president of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands unit.

He joined the BJP in 1990 and has a strong background with the RSS.

Mr Tiwari previously served as State Secretary and is credited with strengthening booth-level management across the islands/