BJP President Announcement By Month-End, Cabinet Rejig Soon After: Sources
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The process to elect the new BJP president is likely to begin only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return to India. He will be in Saudi Arabia on April 22 and 23.
BJP new president name likely by April-end (PTI Image)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may announce the name of the new party president by the end of this month, sources said on Friday, adding that the move could be followed by a Cabinet expansion-cum-reshuffle.
New faces from key NDA partners such as NCP, Shiv Sena, and Bihar allies may be inducted into the Cabinet.
Top Contenders For BJP Chief Post
The names of Union Ministers Manohar Lal Khattar, Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupender Yadav are doing the rounds for the choice of the next BJP chief.
The RSS will be asked for its opinion on this by the BJP sometime next week, sources added. The BJP is expected to complete reorganisation of its state units by this weekend – 4-5 new state presidents could be announced by the party in the run-up to the name of the BJP president.
The BJP could issue a notification for the election process of the new BJP president next week. This is followed by a nomination process, and invariably, the BJP President is announced soon after as the decision is unanimous without a contest. If a Union Minister, as expected, is chosen as the next BJP chief, it would open another vacancy in the Cabinet, necessitating a cabinet expansion or a reshuffle.
Allies Demand Full Cabinet Position
Both the NCP and the Shiv Sena have been desiring a full Cabinet position in the central government after the big Maharashtra win for the alliance. The BJP may also accommodate members from its allies in Bihar in the Cabinet, like Upendra Kushwaha, ahead of the Bihar elections. Some say this cabinet expansion cum reshuffle may be closer to the first anniversary of the Modi 3.0 government.
The Prime Minister will be meeting US Vice President JD Vance on April 21 and will travel to Saudi Arabia from April 22-23. Hence, the process over the BJP president is only expected to begin after the PM’s return to India.
There have been a flurry of meetings at the top levels in the government over the last few days, with speculations doing the rounds on the discussions revolving around the choice for the next BJP chief, the proceedings in the Supreme Court over Waqf Amendment Act, and the SC order directing the President on the issue of bills of the state governments against which the government is planning a review plea.
