Elections were due in at least 19 of BJP’s 38 state units, but even after February, less than half have been completed.
New Delhi: The election process for the new party president is expected to begin anytime now following the intervention of Amit Shah. There is broad consensus among senior leaders of the Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding the new party president. However, delays in state elections have stalled the election process. According to party sources, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has now personally taken charge of expediting the organizational elections in the states. It is expected that elections in more than half of the states will be completed in the coming week.
As per the party’s constitution, elections must be held in at least half the states before selecting the national president. However, so far, elections have been conducted in only about a dozen states, far from the required threshold. Ideally, these elections should have been completed by January, but the process has been significantly delayed.
With Shah stepping in to oversee the process, efforts are now being made to fast-track the pending elections. The party leadership is keen to complete this crucial step as soon as possible.
Elections should have been completed in at least 19 out of the 38 states of the BJP organization, but even after February has passed, elections could not be completed in half the states. The election of the national president has been delayed by more than a year due to the general elections and state elections.
The election process started late in Jharkhand, Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir. Its impact has now been felt in those states where elections are to be held within a year, including Bihar, Kerala, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. The party is in a dilemma about whether to change the president in an election year. Additionally, there are some states where the party is working hard to balance caste equations. These include major states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, while decisions on Haryana and Uttarakhand are also pending.
The biggest challenge lies in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Elections are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh in two years, and the opposition is focusing on backward-class politics. The current state president, Bhupendra Chaudhary, was appointed to manage Jat politics. However, West Uttar Pradesh’s Jat leader, Jayant Chaudhary, is now with the BJP and holds a ministerial position at the Centre. In the current political scenario in Uttar Pradesh, BJP remains dominant under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. After the successful organization of the Maha Kumbh, it does not appear that the opposition will make significant inroads. Jayant Chaudhary also remains aligned with the BJP. Despite its strong position, the party is considering appointing a leader from the Dalit or backward community to head Uttar Pradesh. Several names are under discussion.
Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, the leadership may go to either a tribal or a Brahmin leader. Currently, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav represents the OBC community, while the Deputy Chief Minister and Speaker come from Rajput, Brahmin, and backward backgrounds. This has created pressure within the party to provide another leadership opportunity to Brahmins. The term of the current Madhya Pradesh state president, BD Sharma, ended in 2023 but was extended due to the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. While the caste balance in the state currently benefits the party, recent developments have fueled speculation.
Amit Shah’s visit to Madhya Pradesh and his separate meeting with senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya have sparked discussions about Vijayvargiya’s potential return to the central organization. Having served as the national general secretary for a long time, his name has even been suggested for the post of national president in the past.
However, some sources indicate that the BJP is unlikely to take risks or make experimental choices regarding its next national president. The primary debate within the party is whether to appoint someone from South India or North India. Some of the names being considered include Dharmendra Pradhan, G. Kishan Reddy, Bhupendra Yadav, D. Purandeswari, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manohar Lal Khattar, and B.L. Santosh. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempts to push backward-class politics initially caused concern within the BJP. However, Congress’s Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan campaign failed to gain momentum and remains confined to internal party meetings.
For now, the BJP remains unconcerned about Congress’s strategy. The opposition party itself appears to lack clarity on its next steps, making it less of a challenge for the BJP.