Now that the Bihar polls are over, the focus has returned to one of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s long-awaited decisions: electing a new national president to succeed JP Nadda.
The NDA's recent landslide victory in Bihar -- securing a two-thirds majority in the 243-member House -- has significantly boosted party morale and pushed forward internal talks on who will succeed JP Nadda. BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the state with 89 seats.
All eyes on next BJP President
JP Nadda has been at the party’s helm since January 2020. Although he was originally slated to complete his term in June 2023, Nadda was granted an initial extension for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which saw the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure its third consecutive term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The tenure was subsequently extended again, amidst organisational delays, to ensure stability during crucial electoral battles.
This series of delays has kept him at the helm past his official end date and is now causing growing impatience among party members.
Process for electing a national President
The BJP's constitution mandates that a new national president can only be elected after organisational elections are completed in at least 50% of its state units.
Since the BJP has 37 recognised state units, this means 19 state presidents must be in place before the threshold is met.
As of mid-2025, the party had crossed this requirement by appointing new chiefs in key regions like Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Andhra, Puducherry, and Mizoram. However, the appointment process remains stalled in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
In an interview with CNN-News18 prior to the Bihar Assembly polls, union home minister Amit Shah had said that the new national president would appointed post the conclusion of the election.
According to sources cited by The Times of India, a leader in his early fifties, with organisational experience, will be given the responsibility to helm the party with a long-term vision.
Some of the leaders whose names have been circulating as potential candidates include union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Bhupender Yadav.
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