New Delhi, Dec 16: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday announced a series of key organisational appointments as part of its preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam and Tamil Nadu.
BJP National Vice-President and Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda has been appointed as the party’s Election In-Charge for Assam, signalling early mobilisation for the Assembly polls in the state, which are due by April 2026.
Sunil Kumar Sharma, MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, and former Union Minister Darshana Ben Jardosh have been named as co-in-charges for Assam.
For Tamil Nadu, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been appointed as the BJP’s Election In-Charge. He will be assisted by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol as co-in-charges.
An earlier party notification had named Panda as the in-charge for Tamil Nadu. However, the decision was subsequently revised, assigning him charge of Assam, where he had also served as the party’s election in-charge during the 2021 Assembly polls. Goyal has prior experience in handling Tamil Nadu, having played a key role in facilitating the BJP–AIADMK alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
According to the party, the appointments are part of a broader organisational restructuring aimed at streamlining campaign management, enhancing coordination and ensuring effective election preparedness in key poll-bound states.
The BJP is aiming to retain power in Assam and expand its electoral footprint in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by the Dravidian parties DMK and AIADMK.
The orders for the appointments were issued by BJP General Secretary Arun Singh.
