BJP appoints new leaders in Gujarat, Jharkhand, but faces hurdles in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
BJP announces new state presidents in Gujarat and Jharkhand, with Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh leadership decisions still pending.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has begun resolving pending organizational election issues by announcing new presidents for Gujarat and Jharkhand. The decision to appoint Jagdish Vishwakarma as state president in Gujarat had already been made, but the announcement was delayed. In Jharkhand, MP Aditya Saliu was appointed acting president, with no apparent issues.
However, matters regarding Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka remain unresolved. The situation in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh is more complex.
In Karnataka, B.Y. Vijayendra, son of former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, was appointed state president before the 2024 general elections. This move helped placate an angry Yeddyurappa at the time and benefited the party during the elections. Now, however, the BJP faces a dilemma in announcing a new president. Karnataka has multiple factions within the party, and the assembly elections are to be held in about two and a half years. Whoever becomes president will lead the campaign, so the leadership choice must balance the Yeddyurappa faction and his opponents. Retaining Vijayendra could trigger opposition from rival camps, which is why the issue remains unresolved.
In Uttar Pradesh, caste dynamics play a major role. The tenure of current state president Bhupendra Chaudhary has ended. When he was appointed, Jat politics dominated, but now considerations include Brahmins, Dalits, and OBCs. Decisions are further complicated by the pending selection of the BJP's national president. The party is weighing whether the next national president will be elected this year or next, and which caste the leader will represent.
If a Brahmin is made national president, the Uttar Pradesh presidency could go to a Dalit or OBC. Conversely, if a Dalit or OBC becomes national president, a Brahmin may lead the Uttar Pradesh unit. A large section of the party supports a Brahmin president for Uttar Pradesh, but the high command has yet to decide. Elections in Uttar Pradesh are about one and a quarter years away.
BJP strategists aim to keep upper-caste votes united, while acknowledging that backward-class votes (OBCs and Dalits) may be split. The BSP will contest again, and if Samajwadi Party and Congress unite, they will consolidate backward-class votes. The BJP wants to maintain upper-caste cohesion while navigating these complexities. Yet, the party's cards on the national president issue remain hidden, leaving the Uttar Pradesh leadership question unresolved.
