The BJP has announced its new national organisational team, with 65 office-bearers appointed under party president Nitin Nabin. Uttar Pradesh has received significant representation, with two Muslim leaders appointed to important national roles.
Former Aligarh Muslim University vice-chancellor Dr Tariq Mansoor has been appointed BJP national vice-president, while Kunwar Basit Ali has been made national president of the party’s Minority Morcha.
Tariq Mansoor Gets National Vice-President Role
Dr Tariq Mansoor is a prominent BJP leader from Aligarh with a background in medicine and education. He served as the vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and later became a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
After entering active politics, Mansoor emerged as one of the BJP’s prominent Muslim faces. His experience in education and his association with western Uttar Pradesh are expected to remain important for the party’s minority outreach.
Basit Ali Takes Charge of Minority Morcha
Kunwar Basit Ali, a leader from Meerut, has been associated with the BJP’s minority organisation for more than a decade.
He started working at the grassroots level in 2011 and later became president of the Uttar Pradesh BJP Minority Morcha in 2021. His promotion to the national level gives him a larger role in the party’s outreach among Muslim communities.
Why Uttar Pradesh Matters
Uttar Pradesh is politically crucial for the BJP, with 80 Lok Sabha seats and 403 Assembly constituencies. The party’s performance in the state declined in the 2024 Lok Sabha election compared with 2019, making stronger social outreach a key priority.
The appointments of Mansoor and Basit Ali are being viewed as part of the BJP’s broader effort to connect with different sections of the Muslim community, particularly Pasmanda Muslims.
Whether the strategy translates into electoral gains will depend on the party’s grassroots campaign and how its message is received among Muslim voters.
