BJP accelerates national president election process, appoints senior leaders as state election officers

Representational Image

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a significant step towards electing its new national president by appointing senior leaders to oversee organisational elections in key states.

In a post on X, the party on Friday announced the appointment of Kiren Rijiju, Harsh Malhotra and Ravi Shankar Prasad as state election officers for Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal respectively.

"In continuation of the previous appointments for the election of State Presidents and National Council members, State Election Officers have now been appointed for Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, effective immediately," the BJP said on social media.

These appointments mark a renewed push by the BJP to complete its internal electoral process, which is a constitutional prerequisite before electing the new national president. According to the BJP's constitution, the election for the national president can only proceed once elections in more than half of the party's 37 state and Union Territory units are completed.

So far, new presidents have been named in 14 state units, but several politically crucial states - including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana - are still awaiting leadership changes.

Current BJP national president JP Nadda has been serving on an extended term since June 2024. His tenure was prolonged to ensure continuity during the Lok Sabha elections, following which he was also inducted as a Cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term.