Will BJP get its first woman president ahead of 2029 Lok Sabha polls?

New Delhi: With 33 per cent reservation for women coming into effect from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party may find it a suitable situation to install its first woman party chief ahead of the crucial electoral date. 

The move, if implemented, would need a lot of courage on the part of the BJP which would want to see itself as the political outfit which wants to keep the women’s reservation agenda close to its heart.

It is believed by the senior leadership of the saffron unit that by appointing a woman party chief, the BJP will be able to reclaim much of the seats that it had lost in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.

With much fanfare, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, both Houses of Parliament passed the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023. The bill aims to ensure that women occupy at least 33 per cent of the seats in state legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha from 2029 onwards. And the party would hope to continue holding sway over women voters by ensuring that they remember which political outfit brought in the legislation for them, sources said.  

It is understood that after the incumbent BJP chief JP Nadda has become a cabinet minister, an acting president may soon be appointed in the BJP. This decision is likely to be taken in the parliamentary board meeting soon, sources pointed out.

A full-time president of the BJP is only likely when the organisation is elected in at least half the states. Therefore, BJP is likely to get a new full-time president only by the next year. 

However, the one who is the acting president may as well become the full-time president in future. The sooner organisation elections are held; the sooner BJP will get a new president, sources said.

The most important parameter for the selection and nomination as the BJP chief would be unwavering loyalty towards the party as well as the top two leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah. 

The BJP leadership is likely to take a decision on the appointment of the president after seeking tacit approval from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the saffron unit.  

The BJP is treading cautiously while dealing with the Sangh after Nadda had courted controversy and upset the top leadership of the RSS, making certain unwarranted remarks during the peak electoral campaign on the BJP’s need for Sangh’s cadre in campaigning and support.

If a woman President takes over the BJP, after getting the Sangh nod, she is expected to lead the saffron front into the 2029 Lok Sabha battle and seek votes on the name of women's empowerment, sources said. 

By nominating a woman to the top party position, the BJP would be able to ensure that its opponents do not break into the women's vote share, considered a stronghold of PM Modi. 

It will also send a positive signal to the voters that the BJP isn’t just a conservative party, and can effectively set targets for marginalised groups, including women, in the society. 

The move, if implemented, is expected to also ensure the BJP’s fight against the opposition’s negative narrative battle can be dealt with in a positive position on sensitive issues concerning the nation.