New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formally initiated the process to elect its next national president under the ongoing nationwide organisational campaign, ‘Sangathan Parv-2024’.
The process, which was officially notified on Friday by BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP and National Election Officer Dr K Lakshman, will follow a well-defined procedure in tune with the party’s constitution.
The election process includes steps such as the Electoral College, nomination, scrutiny, withdrawal, and, if necessary, voting.
The election process commenced on Friday with the publication of the Electoral College list at 12 pm. According to the BJP’s constitution, the Electoral College consists of members of the National Council and representatives elected from the State Councils, who are eligible to vote in the presidential election. The next crucial phase is the nomination process, which will take place on Monday, from 2 pm to 4 pm at the BJP’s central office in New Delhi.
Going by the party regulations, candidates must have served as an active member for at least four terms or 15 years. Additionally, they must have the backing of 20 members from the Electoral College of one state and support from at least five states where National Council elections have been completed. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on the same day, from 4 pm to 5 pm, followed by an opportunity for candidates to withdraw their nominations between 5 pm and 6 pm.
If more than one valid candidate remains after the withdrawal phase, voting will take place on Tuesday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, with results being announced the same day. If only one candidate remains after withdrawals, they will be declared the unopposed president. According to sources, Nitin Nabin, the current national executive president, is likely to submit multiple nomination sets, backed by top party leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Rajnath Singh.
The election of the new president is considered a key moment for the BJP, shaping the party’s political and electoral strategy for the coming years.