BJP new chief likely by mid-July with state units nearly in place

NEW DELHI: With internal elections for key state units in progress, BJP has entered the final leg of its process to select the next national president. As organisational polls pick up pace in states like UP, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, senior netas indicated that the selection of J P Nadda's successor is expected by the second week of July after these state-level appointments are completed.

Following the uncontested nominations of N Ramachandra Rao in Telangana and Mahendra Bhatt in Uttarakhand, BJP is now poised to announce new presidents for several other major states, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Gujarat. Bhatt, currently the state president in Uttarakhand, has filed for reappointment, while Rao, a lawyer and former MLC with longstanding RSS and ABVP links, will replace G Kishan Reddy, who has held dual roles as Union minister and state chief since July 2023.

The BJP's constitution mandates the national president be elected only after state presidents are in place in at least half of all states and Union territories. As of now, 14 new state chiefs have been appointed, with elections pending in 19 more regions. The ongoing appointments will push the party closer to fulfilling this condition, clearing the way for a new national leadership.