Smriti Irani is the youngest Cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government. (Press Trust of India)
BJP president Amit Shah has reconstituted the party's national executive, picking a lean team of 111 members. Notable omissions include education minister Smriti Irani; on the list of new members is Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu.
Ms Irani, the youngest Cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government, will thus not be present when the BJP meets in Bengaluru on April 3 and 4 to take stock of the party and government's performance and to strategise for crucial state elections in Bihar and West Bengal.
When Ms Irani, 38, was handed the important Human Resource Development portfolio in May last year, she was seen as a rising star in the party and her being left out of the national executive today has the BJP abuzz.
There is speculation that her exclusion today means the sheen is wearing off already. Ms Irani's stint as minister has not been devoid of controversy and, some sources said, the BJP's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS too did not object to her being left out.
Among other prominent leaders who do not find place in the new national executive are minister Najma Heptullah, popular actor-turned-Mathura MP, Hema Malini and young Maharashtra leader Shaina NC.
Leaders like Suresh Prabhu and ministers Rao Inderjeet and Gen VK Singh, who joined the BJP recently, have been included in the national executive. As have second generation BJP leaders like Dushyant Singh, son of Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
The national executive, which is the BJP's largest group that discusses party strategy, includes all top party leaders. It will also have 40 special invitees and 27 permanent members, down from 96 in the earlier team.
Prime Minster Narendra Modi is expected to be in Bengaluru for three days in April to attend all the sessions of the big BJP meet.
The last national executive meeting was held in August 2014, to ratify the appointment of party president Amit Shah.