Why the new BJP president hasn't been be elected?... READ here to know

The BJP is planning to elect its chiefs in several prominent states in the coming days to pave the way for the election of its new national president, the process has been lengthier than expected. The party leadership wants early elections of its presidents in bigger states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka to complete the organisational exercise which began with the launch of the nationwide membership drive in September last year, official sources said.

Process of selecting a new national president begins

According to the BJP constitution, the party will have to complete organisational elections in at least half of its state units, which means that before the process of selecting a new national president begins, new presidents in at least 19 states, including Union Territories, should be appointed. 

The BJP has a total of 37 organisational states

When the party's membership drive began in September last year, it was widely believed that the election of a new president in place of the current president JP Nadda would be done by January-February this year. However, due to delays in the election of party presidents in several big states and the party trying to build consensus and take its ideological allies like the RSS into confidence, the process has been pushed back by several weeks.

BJP is looking to replace Bhupendra Singh and V D Sharma

In states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is looking to replace Bhupendra Singh and V D Sharma, respectively, while in Karnataka it may allow BY Vijayendra to continue. Bhupendra Singh has been in the post for nearly three years, Sharma for more than five years and Vijayendra was appointed in November 2023. There are several other states like Gujarat, Odisha and Punjab where the BJP is yet to elect its new presidents.

Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at him in Lok Sabha

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav recently took a dig at the BJP over its ongoing exercise to elect its national president in the Lok Sabha. The BJP claims to be the largest party in India but so far it has not decided on its leader, he said. Home Minister Amit Shah was quick to reply, "In some parties, only five members of a family have to choose the president so it is easy and quick, but we have to elect (the president) after a process which involves crores of members, so it takes time."