The BJP is all set to elect a new party president as early as next week, with current working president J.P. Nadda tipped to be the man for the job.
Senior party sources said that as per the party constitution, once 50% of State level organisational polls are completed, the election for the national president takes place. With the former likely to be completed this week, the national level poll is scheduled for either January 19 or 20.
Poll process
At least three sets of nomination papers are to be filed for the presidential polls, with a minimum of 20 proposers (drawn from the national executive of the party, from various State units). If there is only one name in the fray (as is likely) then the candidate will be announced as elected unopposed.
The current team (sans the old president) will be asked to continue till a new team of office bearers is named by the incumbent.
“The election of a national president is then followed by an endorsement by the national council of the party. A meeting of the council will be called in February after the Delhi polls are done, and the endorsement sought,” said the source.
Mr. Nadda’s election is said to be a foregone conclusion especially after he was made working president of the party after Union Home Minister Amit Shah took up his assignment in the government.
Mr. Shah had himself been made president when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh became a minister in the first Modi government. After completing the remainder of Mr. Singh’s tenure, Mr. Shah had been elected for a further term at the helm of party affairs in January 2016.
BJP presidents have a set tenure of three years and can be re-elected for only one more term.
