Extension for Nadda as party prez likely

.BJP national executive meeting in Delhi on Jan 16-17

PNS | New Delhi

The national executive of the BJP will meet here for two days on January 16-17 and is likely to endorse an extension in its national president J P Nadda’s tenure, according to party sources on Tuesday.

The key organisational body of the party will deliberate on its strategy for the upcoming state assembly elections and take stock of its preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as well, sources said.

There is a strong possibility that Nadda, whose three-year term as the party president ends later this month, may get the extension as party chief in view of the coming elections, the party sources said.

The deliberation on countrywide programmes planned by the government to mark India’s presidency of G-20 is likely to be one of the highlights of the meeting, with the BJP set to laud Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts in this regard and prepare a road map to involve its cadres in the exercise, sources said.

The party’s performance in recently held assembly polls and the functioning of the BJP’s government at the Centre could also come up for discussion in the meeting, they added.

Postponement of the organisational polls in view of the assembly elections and the all-important Lok Sabha polls in 2024, may also come up for discussion at the meeting.According to sources, the process of internal polls in the party may begin after the Lok Sabha polls are over in April-May 2024.

Nadda’s predecessor and Home Minister Amit Shah had also got an extension to spearhead the party’s preparation for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.It was only after the parliamentary elections, the BJP’s organisational polls began and Nadda was elected unopposed with Shah joining the Union Cabinet during Narendra Modi’s second stint as prime minister.

Nadda, a seasoned organisational man, also shares warm ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership and enjoys Modi’s confidence.

Many party leaders feel that he has maintained the organisational momentum and dynamism that the BJP was infused with under his predecessor.