Who will be new BJP president? Polls in mind, BJP-RSS leaders deliberate JP Nadda’s successor

The extended tenure of JP Nadda (centre) as the BJP president ended in June this year.

With Jagat Prakash Nadda’s term as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party having drawn to a close, top leaders of the ruling party at the Centre and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, its ideological mentor, met at the residence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Monday to deliberate upon the successor.

Besides Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP’s general secretary BL Santhosh attended the meeting. General secretary and second in command Dattatreya Hosabale and joint general secretary Arun Kumar represented the RSS at the five-hour meeting last evening.

The meeting came ahead of the crucial coordination meeting of the RSS in Palakkad, Kerala, scheduled to be held between August 31 and September 2.

What was the agenda?

It isn’t extraordinary for leaders of the BJP and the RSS to meet periodically. However, the latest meeting assumes significance in view of the BJP’s humbling performance in the Lok Sabha elections, particularly Uttar Pradesh, and the impending question over Nadda’s successor as BJP president.

Reports said that the selection of the BJP president was also discussed at the meeting along with the names of the probable contenders. The selection of the BJP president also becomes critical in view of the approaching Assembly elections.

Key states such as Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are scheduled to go to polls later this year. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the first after the abrogation of Article 370, are also expected to be held soon.

Who will succeed JP Nadda?

The hunt is on for a new BJP chief with Nadda’s extended tenure also ending in June this year. The BJP hopes to hold elections for a full-time president by December this year but a working president may be appointed soon.

The consent of the RSS will be crucial in the appointment of a new president, especially in view of the hostility seen between the two organisations following the Lok Sabha debacle.

With several BJP leaders who served at key positions in the organization now part of the central government, there is increased speculation over whether the BJP would choose a woman or an OBC leader to pass on the baton with elections to several states and the implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament and state assemblies still pending.