BHUBANESWAR: Organisational elections of the State unit BJP will come to an end on January 16, the date for filing of nominations for the post of president.
Announcing the final phase of election that started from July 6, 2019, Assistant State Returning Officer Sudipta Ray said on Wednesday that filing of nominations will begin at 3 pm at the State headquarters office the party on Thursday.
“It has become a convention in the party to elect its president through consensus. If there is more than one candidate for the post, voting will be done at 10 am on January 17. After counting of votes, name of the winner will be announced at 1.30 pm,” Ray stated.
In case of a single nomination, the Central Election Observer will announce name of the new president at 11 am on January 17. Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy will arrive here as Central Observers.
Ray said 21 national council members will be selected from 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State and they will cast their votes in the election of national president.
Speculations are rife that core committee of the BJP has recommended the names of State vice-president Samir Mohanty and general secretary Prithivraj Harichandan for consideration.
Ruling out the possibility of an election, sources in the party said the Central Observers will formally announce the name of the new president in the presence of Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi, national BJP joint general secretary (organisation) Soudan Singh, national general secretary in-charge of Odisha Arun Singh, MP, MLAs and other elected representatives to PRIs.
“We have successfully conducted elections to 25,759 out of 37,606 booth committees and reconstituted 850 out of 1004 mandal (block) committees. “District presidents of 34 out of 36 organisational districts have been elected, now the stage is set for elections to district committees and this will be completed in three days,” he added.
He said BJP is not only the biggest political party of the country but also the only party which believes in democracy within the organisation. The elections start from ground zero and reach the top level, thus giving equal opportunities to all leaders to showcase their leadership qualities.