Top BJP leaders hold discussions, reignite buzz on new party president

Following a high-level meeting in Parliament on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh, the buzz has again started about the BJP finally getting its new national president. According to sources, the name of the new party chief for Uttar Pradesh was also finalised at the meeting, spearheaded by Santhosh and focusing on electing Nadda’s successor.

The party has been awaiting its new president since mid-2024, as the BJP’s rules mandate completing elections in 50 per cent of state units before electing a national president—a process that began in August 2024 but continued into December 2025 because of various issues, including the long process of organisational polls in various states.

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While in the current BJP setup, it is never easy to predict names, speculations continue about Nadda’s possible successors, including Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupender Yadav — all known for their administrative experience and organisational abilities. Other names in circulation include VD Sharma, BL Santhosh, Vinod Tawde, Devendra Fadnavis and Nirmala Sitharaman, making it anyone’s guess given the BJP’s track record of springing surprises while making appointments.

Today’s huddle builds on recent coordination efforts in Uttar Pradesh involving Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS leaders, where names for the state chief were discussed. Apparently, the name of the new UP chief will be announced first, followed by the new national chief. The Uttar Pradesh appointment is crucial given the importance of the state in the BJP’s strategy for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the key Hindi belt state with as many as 80 MPs.

Currently, it is the upcoming West Bengal elections that are a key factor in timing. Although no official dates have been announced yet, the BJP wants strong organisational leadership in place ahead of Assembly elections in the key state in 2025. All eyes are now on who will guide the BJP into the next phase.

Initially appointed working president in June 2019, Nadda assumed the role of BJP chief in January 2020, succeeding Amit Shah in a unanimous election and beginning a term originally set to conclude in January 2023. His leadership navigated several challenges, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic delayed internal organisational polls, prompting extensions first to June 2024 and then further as state-unit elections continued.

By 2025, Nadda’s tenure had stretched beyond five years—among the longest extensions given to a BJP president. During this period, he balanced Union Health Minister responsibilities with organisational work, membership drives, and state-level coordination efforts. Under him, the BJP won several important elections and also faced setbacks, including defeats in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana and a modest performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.