BJP president Amit Shah is getting ready for a second term as the party on Wednesday issued a notification for the election of its next president.
BJP president Amit Shah is getting ready for a second term as the party on Wednesday issued a notification for the election of its next president. For Mr Shah, his first full term as BJP chief will be tricky as Assembly elections are coming up in Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala. A meeting of the BJP parliamentary board and all incumbent office-bearers is also due Saturday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 7 Race Course Road residence. A BJP president’s election is normally uncontested.
Under the notification that has been issued, nominations for the president’s post will be accepted on January 24 and scrutiny will take place the same day. The election, if needed, will be held on January 25. Mr Shah’s current term ends on January 23. He is completing the remainder of Rajnath Singh’s three-year term, who left the post after joining the Union Cabinet.
Under the BJP constitution, amended in 2013 during Nitin Gadkari’s tenure, a person can be elected BJP president for a maximum two terms.
The BJP has already sounded its poll bugle in Assam, where it hopes to come to power and has forged an alliance with the Bodoland People’s Front and is in talks with the Assom Gana Parishad. The Congress has ruled this state since 2001. In both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the BJP’s organisational structure is not strong, whereas in Kerala, it is the Left or Congress-led alliances that have been coming to power.
For the BJP as well as for its cadre, the Bihar debacle was a major setback. Questions have been raised from within over fixing accountability for this loss and seeking action against all those managing the Bihar poll campaign.
