Following a less-than-satisfactory performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated organizational changes. Recently, the party replaced state presidents in Bihar and Rajasthan. Now, discussions are ongoing about the national president’s position. With the current president, Jagat Prakash Nadda, joining the Modi government as a minister, speculation is rife about who will be the next president. Among the frontrunners is Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Fadnavis recently met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fueling further speculation.
According to the BJP’s constitution, an individual can only serve as the national president twice. Nadda’s term ended on June 6, 2024, raising the question of who will succeed him. Given the challenges in finding a new national president, the party is likely to appoint an executive president temporarily. Notably, in 2019, when Amit Shah joined the Modi government as Home Minister, J.P. Nadda was appointed as the executive president and later became the full-term president.
Announcement of Executive President Likely Before Assembly Elections
Later this year, three major states—Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Jammu & Kashmir—will hold assembly elections. Given that Nadda, as a minister, cannot devote full time to election duties, it is crucial for the BJP to announce its executive president before these state elections. Maharashtra holds particular importance due to its large number of Lok Sabha seats, second only to Uttar Pradesh.
Potential Benefits for BJP in Maharashtra
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP faced significant losses in Maharashtra, winning only nine out of 27 contested seats. All current central ministers from the state, except Nitin Gadkari, lost their seats. If Fadnavis is appointed as the executive president, it could benefit the party in the upcoming elections, given his strong organizational skills and previous leadership as the Maharashtra BJP president. Under his leadership in the 2014 assembly elections, the BJP won 122 seats, leading to the formation of the state government.
Close Ties with Shah, PM Modi, and RSS
Fadnavis is considered close to Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. Sources indicate ongoing discussions between the BJP and the RSS regarding the new president since the Lok Sabha elections. Fadnavis’s candidacy is widely accepted without any major objections.
Second President from Vidarbha
Currently, Fadnavis serves as the MLA for the Nagpur South-West assembly seat and the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Before him, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also served as the BJP’s national president. Gadkari’s tenure was highly successful, leading the BJP to amend its constitution to allow for two terms as president. Should Fadnavis be appointed, he would become the second BJP president from Vidarbha.
