BJP Likely to Elect New Party President Before March 21

The BJP, according to sources, was to decide the new party president by the end of February. However, the process got delayed because before the election for the national president commences, the BJP, as per party rules, must complete the organisational polls in at least 50 per cent of its state units. The BJP is yet to fulfill that criteria.

In its bid to expedite the process, the BJP, according to sources, has tasked one of the national general secretaries to seek reports from the states where the organisational polls are pending. The said national general secretary, it is learnt, has visited four states, including Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said in a few states, like Odisha, factionalism is said to be the main reason behind the delay in the completion of the organisational polls. In other states like Jharkhand, "lack of enthusiasm" among the BJP workers is said to be the reason behind the delay. The BJP lost the tribal-dominated state for the second time in a row during the recently concluded assembly polls.

The BJP will have to complete the organisational polls in at least 18 state units before the next national president will be decided. However, there is also a view that the process could be delayed further, as so far only 12 states have completed the process. It will require six more states to complete the process before the next party president is named.

Mr Nadda was named as the working president in June 2019 and was appointed as the president of the BJP in 2020. He had succeeded the then-party president Amit Shah. Mr Nadda’s term was extended in view of the 2024 general election.