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BJP likely to get new president in early 2025: How the process will unfold

J P Nadda, who has been heading the party since 2020, has been on an extension since last year. Though the party constitution has provisions for an election, the convention is that of a consensus candidate who is “elected” unopposed.

Union Minister J.P. Nadda speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (PTI Photo)

With the BJP set to complete organisational polls in half of the states by January 15, it is likely to get its next president sometime early next year. Union Health Minister J P Nadda has been the party chief since January 2020 and has been on an extension since his term ended in 2023.

“Except for the few states that went to polls, membership drive is now being followed with organisational elections. We should be in a position to wind up elections in half of the states by mid-January. The next step after that will be the election of the BJP national president,” said a senior BJP leader involved with the organisational elections.

At present, elections to booth committees have been completed in several states. The mandal-level elections are expected to be completed in the next five to 10 days. This will be followed by zilla elections by the end of the year or January 5, according to a party leader.

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While there is still no clarity on who could be the next party president, party insiders said there were expectations for the name to be announced early next year. The choice will depend on the names that the BJP leadership and the RSS agree upon. While there was a buzz about a slightly weakened BJP central leadership after the Lok Sabha polls, the results of the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections, and the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, have come as a shot in the arm for the BJP leadership that has regained a spring in its step despite the party remaining short of a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha.

As per the BJP’s constitution, the presidents elected at each level, going up from mandal and Zilla to the states, nominate a team of office-bearers. Once the elections to half the states are wrapped up, an election is held for a full-time national president. The new national president then nominates a team of office-bearers.

While the party constitution lays out the provisions of an electoral college for the selection of the national president, the convention has been that of a consensus candidate who files the nomination papers and is then “elected” unopposed, rather than the party holding an election.

The process

The BJP constitution has a provision for a contest too. Should there be more than one candidate after the date of withdrawal of nominations, the constitution lays out that the polling is to be held in all state capitals on the chosen day by polling officers appointed by the all-India returning officer. The sealed ballot boxes are then brought to Delhi and the votes are counted.

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A BJP national president can have a maximum of two consecutive terms of three years each. The amendment leading to this was made in 2012 when the RSS wanted Nitin Gadkari to head the party for a second consecutive term. However, at the last moment, Rajnath Singh replaced Gadkari and held the post till the party won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Amit Shah then replaced Singh as the BJP chief before Nadda took over from Shah four years ago.

Vikas Pathak

Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More