There has been a delay of nearly two and a half years in the election of the BJP's national president. However, there are now indications that the ruling party may get a new national president this month.
New Delhi: The post of National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become the biggest topic of discussion in the country's politics these days. After a delay of about two and a half years, there is a possibility that the party will get a new national president in the month of July. Party sources say that after the change in leadership at the organizational level in the states, the focus is now on the central leadership. In such a situation, the most important question is whether the BJP will get a woman national president for the first time, or will the party once again rely on an OBC leader?
In fact, the name of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is being prominently mentioned among the top leadership of the BJP this time. It is being said that Nirmala Sitharaman, who comes from South India and has been a prominent face of the Modi government, is also considered a b contender for the party, keeping in mind women's empowerment. After the 33% women's reservation law, the party wants to send a big message by making a woman the national president, and Nirmala Sitharaman's name is said to be at the forefront in this.
The names of two more women leaders from South India have also emerged
Apart from Sitharaman, D. Purandeswari, former BJP state president of Andhra Pradesh, is also in the race. Purandeswari is knowledgeable in many languages and is considered experienced at the national level. She has previously held many important positions in the party. Apart from her, the name of Vanathi Srinivasan from Tamil Nadu has also come up, who is a lawyer by profession and is an MLA from Coimbatore South in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Vanathi has been the National President of the BJP Mahila Morcha and became a member of the party's central election committee in 2022. If any of them is finalized, it will be the first woman national president in the history of the BJP.
OBC factor becomes a big reason
However, sources within the BJP say that the party is currently closer to playing the OBC card. A senior party official told NBT Online that the name of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has emerged rapidly at the last moment. He said that the party is going to contest elections in the next few years in the big states of Bihar (2025), West Bengal (2026) and Uttar Pradesh (2027), where the OBC equations will be very decisive. In such a situation, relying on Keshav Prasad Maurya may prove to be strategically beneficial for the party.
The name of Dharmendra Pradhan is also in this race, but sources say that Maurya has a good rapport with both the organization and the Sangh, so his claim is considered ber.
JP Nadda's extended tenure is now on the verge of ending
The term of the current BJP National President JP Nadda ended in January 2023, but his term was repeatedly extended due to the Lok Sabha elections and then several assembly elections. After the recent Lok Sabha elections and the completion of organizational elections in the states, there is now pressure on the BJP leadership to announce the new president soon. The opposition had also taunted this delay in Parliament.
Now that the new team of the organization has been formed in almost all the states, the party is moving towards holding the election of the national president in July itself. The meetings of JP Nadda, BL Santosh and Nirmala Sitharaman in the BJP headquarters in the last few days have also become a topic of discussion in this regard.
For the BJP, this decision is very important not only politically, but also symbolically. If a woman face becomes the president, it will be a big stand of the party after the 33% women's reservation law. At the same time, by making an OBC leader the president, the BJP can further strengthen its strategy of balancing social equations.
