THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: K Surendran is most likely to continue as BJP state president till the end of his second term in 2026.
An understanding to this effect has reportedly been reached between the party and the RSS. This comes amid rumours that a new president would be appointed in the backwash of BJP’s setback in the Palakkad assembly by-election.
Soon after the bypoll results were announced, Surendran met BJP national president J P Nadda and briefed him about the party’s performance in Palakkad, Chelakkara and Wayanad.
Although the Palakkad result was a disappointment, the party managed to increase its vote share in Chelakkara by three percentage points. According to reliable sources in the BJP, Nadda instructed Surendran to prepare the party for the 2026 assembly election.
Surendran was appointed state chief in February 2020. In 2023, he completed his first tenure and received an extension till 2026.
“Though the organisational election process has started, the national leadership is of the view that selection of a new president before the assembly election will affect preparations,” a key insider in the state BJP said.
“A new president will mean new office bearers. This will affect the process of preparing for the election. There is a chance that after 2026 assembly election a new president will be elected by December of that year,” he told TNIE.
BJP national general secretary B L Santhosh met state RSS leaders in Kochi to convey the party’s opinion. The saffron party cancelled its December 6-7 meetings of office-bearers to review election performance after Surendran and Santhosh’s relayed their inconvenience. The core committee meeting would be held on December 9.
“The national leadership is watching the situation closely,” a senior leader said. “They will intervene if required. It is true that there are serious differences of opinion about the manner in which the party fought the Palakkad by-election. However, we will have to wait and see if the national leadership will change its mind on the appointment of a new president before the assembly election,” he added.