JP Nadda to be elected BJP chief on Monday

With the party announcing January 20 as the date for electing its new chief, BJP Working President J P Nadda is likely to be elected as the new head of the organisation on Monday next replacing the incumbent Home Minister Amit Shah, who doubles up in the role right now.

Nadda, who took over as BJP Working President in June last year after party President Shah became Home Minister in Modi 2:0 government, is taking over the post of party chief in the run-up to Delhi assembly polls in which the BJP had won just three of 70 assembly seats in last assembly polls and finds itself in tight spot even this time.

The process of organizational elections had rolled out a few months back with a membership drive during which the party enrolled 18 going much beyond its target of adding 2.2 crore more to its 11 crore membership. The last membership drive was concluded in 2015.

Shah has already completed two terms as party chief. His term that came to an end in January this year and was extended to allow the party to go to Lok Sabha polls under his leadership. Then it was again extended in view of elections in Maharashtra Haryana and Jharkhand. BJP lost badly in Jharkhand, lost in government formation in Maharashtra after losing oldest ally Shiv Sena and could form government in Haryana only after having a post-poll tie-up with rival party Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janata Party.

As part of the ongoing organizational election exercise, the party has already set up 75 per cent booth committees and 50 per cent of divisional committees. Organisational elections have also been completed in 60 per cent of districts.

Elections for state chiefs in 21 states and members of National Council have been completed, thus fulfilling the criteria of organizational elections having been conducted in at least 50 per cent of total states before party’s national president can be elected. In all probability, Nadda will be elected unopposed, which will be followed by a gala event at the party headquarters.