BJP likely to announce new national president next week

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to announce its next national president within the coming week, with high-level deliberations gaining momentum in the party’s top ranks.

On Wednesday, a significant meeting took place in the presence of Union Home minister Amit Shah here in the national capital, where senior leaders, including incumbent national president Jagat Prakash Nadda discussed the roadmap for the party’s organisational reshuffle, including the long-awaited election of the national president, sources said.

The process expected to commence anytime after April 18. During Wednesday’s meeting, the leadership also discussed the appointments of state unit presidents in key states such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, according to the party insiders. Over the next few days, presidents for nearly half a dozen states are likely to be announced, completing a critical precondition for the national election.

The election of the BJP’s national president was initially scheduled for January this year but has been delayed repeatedly. JP Nadda, who assumed the presidency in January 2020, had his term extended in January 2023 owing to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and other key polls.

Under the BJP’s constitution, organisational elections must be completed in at least 19 states before the national presidential poll can be conducted. So far, elections have been concluded in 14 states.

Names of several senior leaders are being actively considered, including Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan, and former Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Manohar Lal Khattar. Sources also indicated that the party is considering appointing an OBC face as its next president, a move that could carry strategic electoral weight across several states.

However, party insiders said the delay has also been strategic. The next national president is expected to lead the BJP into the 2029 general elections—a significant political responsibility. The leadership is, therefore, treading cautiously to ensure that the selection process reflects a broad consensus within the party and does not appear to favour any specific faction, especially at a time when the Opposition has repeatedly accused the party of centralised decision-making.

Adding to the buzz, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent decision to postpone his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, along with cancellations of other high-profile meetings, including meeting with President Droupadi Murmu, has further fuelled speculation about an imminent announcement.

The BJP’s organisational structure is rigidly hierarchical, with the national president holding the highest post within the party. As per the BJP’s constitution, the president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the National and State Councils. Initially, the party constitution limited any leader to one three-year term, but this was amended in 2012 to allow for two consecutive terms.

With the next cycle of Assembly elections in key states—Bihar (2025), West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam (2026), and Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, Gujarat and Manipur (2027)—looming large, the choice of the national president will be a crucial determinant in shaping the BJP’s electoral strategy over the next few years.