NEW DELHI: With BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda’s tenure set to end on June 30 and he is part of the Modi 3.0 cabinet, the party is looking for his successor. Nadda is likely to be appointed the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha this time, taking over from Piyush Goyal.
“With Nadda’s term set to end this month, the BJP is on a hunt for his successor to steer the party forward,” said a senior BJP functionary, adding that the leadership will consider holding elections to fill the post as soon as possible, especially with assembly polls for several states being lined up this year.
Several names are doing the rounds within the BJP circles for the top post. Among the front runners is BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde, who is in charge of the party affairs in Bihar and is known for his organisational skills. Tawde is considered the most successful headhunter for the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. “Most importantly, he remains available to party workers. That too, at a time when a majority of senior BJP leaders remains inaccessible to people,” said the leader.
Other probable names include that of Sunil Bansal, general secretary and in-charge of West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana; Dr K Laxman, national president of OBC Morcha and central committee member; Om Mathur, RS MP from Rajasthan; Anurag Thakur, Hamirpur MP and former Union minister; Vanathi Srinivasan, national president of BJP Mahila Morcha, and Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, MP from Bihar.
Dr K Laxman, from Telangana, is a prominent OBC face, while Bansal could also be considered especially since the BJP has done well in two of the three states he is in charge of, during the recent elections.
Meanwhile, Mathur, who is also in-charge of Gujarat, could also be considered due to his long association with the RSS.
If the party decides to appoint a woman as its chief for the first time, Vanathi Srinivasan would be the main contender, said an insider.