BJP to get first woman national president? RSS on board, Sitharaman and Purandeswari among likely frontrunners

The BJP's organisational overhaul is likely to end wit hthe appointment of a new national president who will replace JP Nadda. (File: PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party may be on track to appoint its first ever woman national president, with names like Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP's former Andhra Pradesh unit chief D Purandeswari and Tamil Nadu MLA Vanathi Srinivasan among the probable frontrunners, a report by Live Hindustan said on Friday citing sources.

The report further said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is also on board with the idea of appointing a woman to the post of national president.

The BJP is in the midst of a nationwide organizational overhaul in states as it readies ground to appoint a new national president. The post is currently occupied by Union minister Jagat Prakash Nadda whose term ended way back in January 2023.

Nadda was first given an extension till June 2024 in view of the Lok Sabha elections and then asked to continue on the post pending elections. The party has concluded the process of appointing new chiefs in 24 states as against the requirement of 14 states as per the party constitution to hold elections for the national president.

With the process having gained momentum over the past week, there is increased anticipation around the appointment of a new national president soon.

Why a woman president?

The BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, see women voters as a major driving force behind its meteoric rise over the past decade. Addressing an all-woman rally in West Bengal ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi said women voters were his shield against criticism of his government’s decade-long rule.

Women, who constitute 49 percent of the country's population, have been a constant source of support for the BJP which has launched several targeted schemes aimed a benefiting women. From Ujjwala scheme to women's reservation, the party has made a concerted outreach to woo this section of voters.

Considering the appointment of a woman BJP president appears to be in line with the party's -- as well as the Prime Minister's -- claim of being the defender of the interests of Indian women.

The sources cited by Live Hindustan said that the BJP has seen success in influencing women voters in the recent past, which could be one of the reasons why it is now looking at making a woman hold the post of party's national president.

A woman president could also help the BJP send the right signals to women voters ahead of key elections in Bihar and West Bengal, among others, in the next one year.

Who are the frontrunners?

While there has been no official word on the BJP considering a woman president, there are indications that three prominent women leaders could be in the contention.

Nirmala Sitharaman: Having held the post of Finance Minister in the Union Cabinet since 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman is reported to be one of the likely contenders to the post. An influential figure within the party, Sitharaman's Tamil Nadu roots could be key to the BJP's push down south. She recently met with JP Nadda and BJP general secretary BL Santhosh at the party headquarters.

D Purandeswari: The former president of the BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit, D Purandeswari is believed to be among the frontrunners for the post of the party's national president. She was also part of the government's Operation Sindoor delegation that represented the country's anti-terrorism stance in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the EU, Italy and Denmark.

Vanathi Srinivasan: Having held the post of BJP Mahila Morcha president, Vanathi Srinivasan defeated actor-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2021. Having joined the BJP in 1993, she became a member of the BJP’s Central Election Committee in 2022.