Nitin Nabin set to replace Nadda as BJP president after party issues notification for election: How BJP chief is chosen?

The Saffron party is ushering in new era with leadership change at the top as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (Jan 16) issued a notification for the election of its new party president, with nomination to be filed on Monday and the elections to be held on Tuesday, if any other candidates apart from working president Nitin Nabin enters the fray.

According to the notification, the nominations will be filled on Monday between 2 pm and 4 pm, followed by the scrutiny of forms between 4 pm and 5 pm. Candidates can withdraw their nominations from 5 pm to 6 pm if the need arises.

“The election will be conducted on Tuesday if the need arises; otherwise, the announcement will be made the same day,” the notification said.

Nitin Nabin is likely to become the BJP president unopposed, as JP Nadda, the current president, was appointed as working president in 2019 before his appointment as national president in January 2020.

On December 14, the saffron party had appointed the five-term member of of legistilative assembly and Bihar Minister Nitin Nabin as the working national president.

According to the official notification issued by the party's national returning officer and Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman, the electoral rolls of the party will be published at 12 noon, and the enrolment process for the candidates will start on January 19.

How BJP president elected?

According to Article 19 of the BJP Constitution, the election of the party president is conducted through an electoral college comprising members of the National Council and State Councils. The election process follows the rules framed by the party’s National Executive.

Any 20 members of the electoral college can jointly propose a candidate for the post of party president. The nominee must be an active member for at least four terms and should have completed 15 years of total party membership. If the electoral college does not receive more than one nomination, the candidate is declared elected unopposed, and no voting is required.

The BJP National Council includes members elected by state councils, along with 10 per cent of BJP Members of Parliament, elected by party MPs. However, the number of such MPs cannot be fewer than 10; if it is, all are included automatically. Other members of the National Council include former national presidents, state unit presidents, leaders of the party in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and leaders in state assemblies and legislative councils.

The State Councils are formed with members elected by district units, 10 per cent of party legislators, and 10 per cent of MPs from the state. They also include all National Council members from the state, former state presidents, members of the state executive, leaders in state legislatures, and nominated members, capped at 25, appointed by the state president and other authorised leaders.