NEW DELHI: Amid growing speculation over the new BJP national president, the names of three women leaders — including Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman — have suddenly emerged alongwith other prominent figures such as Bhupendra Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan, Manohar Lal Khattar, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pralhad Joshi, and others.
Though many senior BJP leaders have not firmly backed the likelihood of any one of the three women being chosen for the top post, the names currently in circulation include former Andhra Pradesh BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari — often referred to as the "second Sushma Swaraj"— Vanathi Srinivasan (currently the national president of the BJP Mahila Morcha), and Nirmala Sitharaman, the current Finance Minister.
Sources have indicated that Purandeswari may not be eligible, as she has not yet completed 15 years in the party following her defection from the Congress — a requirement according to the BJP’s constitution, which mandates that a candidate for the national president post must have been a primary member for at least 15 years. However, the party may make an exception in her case.
Vanathi Srinivasan, widely recognised within the organisation for the numerous outreach programmes conducted by the Mahila Morcha across the country is another highly placed candidate. However, a key drawback in her case is the limited fluency in the Hindi language, which is considered essential for the role.
"She lacks fluency in the Hindi language, which is essential for a BJP national president. She is figuring among the potential candidates, but it would be a big surprise if she is picked up," said a BJP source.
Meanwhile, the name of Dr Sudha Yadav has long been in consideration as the party is speculated to be seeking a woman leader for the top post in adherence to the RSS decision.
Yadav, who is a member of both the BJP’s central election committee and its parliamentary board, enjoys solid backing from the RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from IIT Roorkee.
"She speaks well and is trusted by both the Sangh and BJP's top-ranked leaders. It should not be surprising if she gets a consensus, as it would also help attract the Yadav vote bank which has been considered to be dominated by the RJD in Bihar and SP in UP," said a senior BJP leader.
BJP is expected to announce its national leadership between July 10 and 18.
The names currently in contention include Nirmala Sitharaman, Daggubati Purandeswari, Vanathi Srinivasan, Dr Sudha Yadav, Aparajita Sarangi, Bhupendra Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan, Manohar Lal Khattar, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pralhad Joshi, Arjun Ram Meghwal, G. Kishan Reddy, Tarun Chugh, Keshav Prasad Maurya, B. D. Sharma, Vinod Tawde, and K. Annamalai.
Former Tamil Nadu Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan is also among the speculated candidates.
