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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday moved towards appointing a new national president as the party completed the election of state chiefs, with just a few more to be appointed on Tuesday.

As mandated by the BJP’s constitution, the election of state presidents in at least 19 out of 37 organizational states is required before the national leadership can be chosen. With recent appointments and additional state elections scheduled, the party is set to soon cross this threshold.

On Monday, V. P. Ramalingam and K. Beichhua were elected as BJP presidents in Puducherry and Mizoram, respectively. Single nominations have also been filed in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, making the election process in these states a formality expected to conclude on Tuesday.

This brings the total number of newly elected or re-elected state presidents to 16, with more announcements anticipated in the coming days, including from major states such as Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

The BJP has picked Ramchander Rao and P V N Madhav for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, respectively, picking seasoned organisational leaders, but with relatively low public profile.

Rao's appointment sparked a furious response from fiery Hindutva leader and MLA T Raja Singh, who resigned from the BJP. 

Meanwhile, the party's decision to replace its Lok Sabha MP Daggubati Purandeswari as its Andhra chief is being seen as a means to build the party in a state where it remains a minor electoral player despite being an ally of the ruling TDP.

Ravinda Chavan Likely To Be Maharashtra Unit Chief

In Maharashtra, BJP working president and four-term MLA Ravindra Chavan is poised to succeed Cabinet minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, while Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt is set for another term in Uttarakhand.

The completion of these state-level appointments has paved the way for the BJP to initiate the process of electing a new national president to succeed J. P. Nadda, whose extended tenure has continued even as he served as a cabinet minister in the PM Modi-led government.

The national leadership selection is likely to take place in July, following the Prime Minister’s return from international engagements.

The BJP’s internal election process is hierarchical, starting with booth-level polls and culminating in the appointment of state and then national presidents.

The final decision on the new national president is expected to be reached through consensus, involving consultations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and top party leadership, in line with organizational tradition.

While speculation continues regarding potential candidates, the party has yet to release an official shortlist. The upcoming national president’s appointment is anticipated to influence broader organisational and electoral strategies as the BJP prepares for significant state and national contests in the coming year.

(With inputs from news agency PTI.)