The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on the lookout for a new national president as JP Nadda, the incumbent, has joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, taking charge of the Health, Chemicals, and Fertilizers ministries. Nadda's term as BJP president is set to conclude later this month.
JP Nadda rose to the position of BJP's full-time president in January 2020 after serving as the party's working president since 2019. His tenure was extended until June 2024 to maintain leadership stability during crucial election periods. With his entry into Modi 3.0's cabinet, the focus has shifted to who will succeed him as BJP's national president.
Initially, names like Dharmendra Pradhan and Shivraj Singh Chouhan were actively discussed for the role, but both have also been inducted as union ministers, ruling them out of the race.
One of the frontrunners for the position is Vinod Tawde, BJP's general secretary and a former minister in the Maharashtra government. Tawde is considered one of the most influential general secretaries in the party, second only to BL Santosh.
K Laxman, the chief of BJP's OBC Morcha and a leader from Telangana, is also being mentioned. Laxman, who previously served as the party's state president, is seen as the BJP's next focus after Andhra Pradesh.
Other contenders include Sunil Bansal, the general secretary overseeing West Bengal, Telangana, and Odisha, and Om Mathur, a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan.
According to reports, the BJP is also considering appointing its first woman president to attract women voters who increasingly defy caste and religious boundaries. The party has a track record of promoting gender equality, having appointed Droupadi Murmu as India’s first Dalit woman President. Last year, the BJP called a special session of Parliament to pass the women's reservation bill, aimed at ensuring at least 33% of seats in state Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha are reserved for women.
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