<p>Bengaluru: BJP National General Secretary Radha Mohandas Agrawal did not rule out a second stint for B Y Vijayendra as the party’s Karnataka president in the city on Thursday.</p>.<p>However, many leaders reportedly opposed Vijayendra's leadership during the one-on-one closed-door of BJP national leaders – Shivaprakash (joint general secretary-organisation) and Baijayant Panda (national vice-president) with 31 select leaders, including core committee leaders, state general secretaries and party MPs.</p>.<p>The exercise to elicit opinion of senior leaders on the state leadership is said to be a “routine process” followed in electing the state presidents.</p>.<p>Vijayendra, a first-time legislator, was not elected but handpicked by the party high command in November 2023, after the party was routed in the May 2023 Assembly polls. The ‘appointment’ was opposed by some senior leaders.</p>.<p><strong>Alternative names</strong></p>.<p>In Thursday’s meeting, some leaders flagged concern over Vijayendra’s “failure” to take everyone into confidence and suggested alternative names from different communities. Leaders backing the Vijayendra argued for his continuation till the 2028 polls. The party now appears to believe that following the “due process” of selecting a consensus candidate is the way forward.</p>.Top BJP leader's Karnataka visit puts focus on Vijayendra's future, term as state party chief ends in November .<p>Shivaprakash and Panda are expected to brief the national leadership, who will take the final call.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters, Agrawal dismissed suggestions that the state had only an “adhoc” president.</p>.<p>"We have a full-fledged state president and he is doing good work. The current president is a powerful leader. The same power will continue even if the current one continues or a new one is elected,” said Agrawal, adding the Bengaluru meeting was not the forum to decide on state president.</p>.<p>“Whether he (Vijayendra) will continue as state president or not will certainly not be decided here. In BJP, the evaluation (of a leader's performance) is a continuous process. The leadership does not need to come here to know what each leader is doing. As a state incharge I will apprise the leadership. I am a party worker of BJP, not of the state president,” he asserted.</p>.<p>On a possible leadership change, Agrawal said, "When a new state chief will be elected, a new team will also be put in place. We will retain those who have worked to our satisfaction and replace non-performers."</p>.<p>When asked if Vijayendra would continue as president till 2028 Assembly elections, Agrawal said the party would go to polls under whoever was the president in 2028.</p>.<p>"In BJP, we don’t have a three-year term, but we do believe a president can serve up to a maximum of two terms,” said Agrawal hinting at a second term for Vijayendra.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: BJP National General Secretary Radha Mohandas Agrawal did not rule out a second stint for B Y Vijayendra as the party’s Karnataka president in the city on Thursday.</p>.<p>However, many leaders reportedly opposed Vijayendra's leadership during the one-on-one closed-door of BJP national leaders – Shivaprakash (joint general secretary-organisation) and Baijayant Panda (national vice-president) with 31 select leaders, including core committee leaders, state general secretaries and party MPs.</p>.<p>The exercise to elicit opinion of senior leaders on the state leadership is said to be a “routine process” followed in electing the state presidents.</p>.<p>Vijayendra, a first-time legislator, was not elected but handpicked by the party high command in November 2023, after the party was routed in the May 2023 Assembly polls. The ‘appointment’ was opposed by some senior leaders.</p>.<p><strong>Alternative names</strong></p>.<p>In Thursday’s meeting, some leaders flagged concern over Vijayendra’s “failure” to take everyone into confidence and suggested alternative names from different communities. Leaders backing the Vijayendra argued for his continuation till the 2028 polls. The party now appears to believe that following the “due process” of selecting a consensus candidate is the way forward.</p>.Top BJP leader's Karnataka visit puts focus on Vijayendra's future, term as state party chief ends in November .<p>Shivaprakash and Panda are expected to brief the national leadership, who will take the final call.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters, Agrawal dismissed suggestions that the state had only an “adhoc” president.</p>.<p>"We have a full-fledged state president and he is doing good work. The current president is a powerful leader. The same power will continue even if the current one continues or a new one is elected,” said Agrawal, adding the Bengaluru meeting was not the forum to decide on state president.</p>.<p>“Whether he (Vijayendra) will continue as state president or not will certainly not be decided here. In BJP, the evaluation (of a leader's performance) is a continuous process. The leadership does not need to come here to know what each leader is doing. As a state incharge I will apprise the leadership. I am a party worker of BJP, not of the state president,” he asserted.</p>.<p>On a possible leadership change, Agrawal said, "When a new state chief will be elected, a new team will also be put in place. We will retain those who have worked to our satisfaction and replace non-performers."</p>.<p>When asked if Vijayendra would continue as president till 2028 Assembly elections, Agrawal said the party would go to polls under whoever was the president in 2028.</p>.<p>"In BJP, we don’t have a three-year term, but we do believe a president can serve up to a maximum of two terms,” said Agrawal hinting at a second term for Vijayendra.</p>
