CHANDIGARH: BJP’s appointment of Haryana Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia as one of its eight national general secretaries marks the rise of a low-profile organisation man whose political career has been built on grassroots work, election management and a strong RSS-linked organisational background.Bhatia, who met Union minister and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal in Panipat on Sunday to seek his blessings after the appointment, has moved from state-level organisation building to a key national role. Manohar Lal congratulated him and urged him to continue working with the same dedication and commitment to the organisation.Bhatia’s appointment is also significant for Haryana, as several other leaders associated with the state have found a place in BJP national president Nitin Nabin’s new team. They include BJP Haryana in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Satish Kumar Punia and Arun Yadav, who has been associated with the party’s social media organisation. Their inclusion gives Haryana a wider presence in the party’s national organisational structure.Bhatia, a staunch organisation man with a long RSS-BJP background, began his public life in student politics through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Born in Panipat on July 29, 1967, he later held responsibilities at the mandal, district and state levels and served as BJP Haryana general secretary from 2015 to 2021.He shot into the national political spotlight with his 2019 Lok Sabha victory from Karnal. Contesting his first parliamentary election, Bhatia defeated his Congress rival by 6,56,142 votes — the biggest winning margin recorded in Haryana’s Lok Sabha electoral history, according to the source material. The emphatic victory highlighted his organisational reach and ability to mobilise the party machinery down to the booth level.After Manohar Lal was fielded from Karnal in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Bhatia shifted his focus back to organisational work. In March 2026, the BJP nominated him for the Rajya Sabha from Haryana, and he was subsequently elected, taking oath in April.His organisational experience extends well beyond Haryana. The BJP entrusted him with assignments in West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka, where he worked on election management, organisational strengthening and coordination with grassroots workers.Party leaders regard Bhatia as a hardcore organisation man, known for keeping a low profile while focusing on workers, booth-level mobilisation and the execution of party targets. His elevation is being seen as recognition of this organisational experience and his ability to turn strategy into electoral results.He now faces the dual responsibility of serving as a Rajya Sabha member while helping steer the BJP’s organisation across states as national general secretary. For Haryana BJP, Bhatia’s elevation, along with the presence of Punia and Yadav in the new national set-up, significantly strengthens the state’s representation in the party’s central organisation.
