Rajesh Pande Reappointed BJP Maharashtra General Secretary in Ravindra Chavan’s New Team
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 24th February 2026: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its much-awaited Maharashtra state executive, with Rajesh Pande retaining his position as state General Secretary for a second consecutive term. The announcement was made by state BJP president Ravindra Chavan in the presence of national general secretary (organisation) B. L. Santosh.
Pande, who was earlier appointed as General Secretary during the tenure of former state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule around the Lok Sabha elections, has once again been entrusted with a key organisational role. Party leaders indicated that the decision reflects an emphasis on organisational experience, loyalty and grassroots mobilisation.
Originally from Amalner taluka in Jalgaon district, Pande moved to Pune for education and has since made the city his karmabhoomi. Inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, he began his public life through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Over four decades, he has remained active in social, educational and political spheres, building a reputation as a disciplined organiser and strategist.
In 1993, Pande coordinated one of the largest student marches in Maharashtra, when nearly three lakh students mobilised in Mumbai over education-related issues. In 1995, he led a sit-in protest outside Mantralaya highlighting concerns of tribal students, mobilising more than 10,000 students from remote tribal regions across the state.
Within the BJP’s youth wing, he served as co-in-charge when Devendra Fadnavis was overseeing responsibilities in Maharashtra. Pande has also worked as city general secretary, election in-charge for municipal, Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, and state vice president, handling several organisational assignments.
In recent years, he played a role in implementing outreach initiatives such as ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ and ‘Meri Maati, Mera Desh’ across Maharashtra. During India’s G20 presidency, he served as Maharashtra coordinator.
Under his leadership in the ‘Selfie with Meri Maati’ initiative, the campaign earned recognition in global record listings, according to party sources.
Pande has also been associated with academic policy bodies and served on the management councils of three major universities in Maharashtra. At Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), initiatives undertaken during his tenure were recorded in international record books for mass youth participation and public awareness efforts.
He is widely known in Pune for conceptualising the Pune Book Festival, aimed at strengthening reading culture and positioning the city as a global literary hub. The festival has claimed more than 15 Guinness World Records over the past three years. Recognising his contribution to literary promotion, the National Book Trust (NBT), India, appointed him as a board member. Efforts are underway to operationalise an NBT regional office in Pune.
Author of the book ‘Guinnessgatha,’ Pande has documented the journey of mass participation initiatives that achieved world records through youth involvement.
Reacting to his reappointment, Pande expressed gratitude to the party’s central and state leadership for reposing faith in him. He said he would continue working to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots and expand outreach under the leadership of Ravindra Chavan.
Party workers in western Maharashtra said Pande’s continuation as General Secretary is expected to energise the cadre ahead of upcoming political challenges, citing his organisational experience and long-standing association with the party.
