Selection Of BJP's New President Hinges On RSS 'Consent'

The tenure of Jagat Prakash Nadda as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended on 30 June, but the party is yet to appoint a new president, even a month and a half later.

It has now come to light that the process is being delayed because the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wants the appointment to be based on its "consent."

In this regard, a meeting was held at the residence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday (11 August), in which leaders from both the BJP and the RSS participated.

From the RSS, the second-in-command after Mohan Bhagwat, Dattatreya Hosabele, and joint general secretary Arun Kumar were present in the five-hour-long meeting.

Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Singh, Nadda, and party national general secretary B L Santhosh, were present from the BJP.

During the meeting, it was deliberated whether the party should appoint a working president, who will ultimately be the only candidate for the party president's election scheduled to be held later this year, or continue with Nadda for now.

Those who are in favour of continuing with Nadda insist that there should be no disruptions before the assembly election set to be held in Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra this year.

Those seeking a new president argue that after the BJP's underperformance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the party needs new leadership to bring enthusiasm to the cadre.

In the Lok Sabha election, the BJP could not pass the majority mark on its own, needing the support of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties to form the government for the third time.

While it's not clear which argument prevailed in the meeting, one thing emerged quite clearly: the RSS wants the next BJP president to be elected in active consultation with it, unlike in the past.

A source told The Hindu, "The results of the Lok Sabha polls have convinced the RSS that someone who will be strong enough to handle the organisation needs to be in place."

On the other hand, the BJP high command wants to maintain seamless coordination with the president’s office as before.

The RSS has been keen on engaging with the BJP leaders after the Lok Sabha election results. This was seen in Uttar Pradesh, where the RSS stepped in to resolve the difference between the Chief Minister and his Deputy.

Similarly, in Haryana, where the assembly election is due in October this year, the RSS is being kept in the loop while deciding the BJP candidates.

And hence, one can see frequent "coordination" meetings between the two organisations. One major meeting of this sort is planned in Kerala's Palakkad from 31 August to 2 September.

The RSS wants someone from "grassroots politics" to become the party president, while the BJP is exploring options for having a leader from the Other Backward Class (OBC) or a woman lead the party.