Narendra Modi’s close aide Amit Shah set to be named BJP president today

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 9, 2014:  BJP general secretary Amit Shah is set to replace Rajnath Singh as party president on Wednesday, highly-placed party sources indicated. Party Parliamentary Board under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh is likely to meet to formalise the announcement.

Shah, under whose charge the BJP bagged 73 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP, became the front-runner for the post of party president after Rajnath Singh joined the government. While the party leaders admitted that suggestions were made to appoint another party general secretary J P Nadda to the post, Shah’s electoral success appear to have weighed in his favour.

As for the RSS, sources indicate that Sangh had made it clear that it will have no objection to anyone becoming the president with the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “In our scheme of things, the PM’s word will be final whenever the party is in power,” underlined a top party leader.

Shah’s appointment will also be followed up with a massive organisational overhaul in the party with as many as four vacancies of general secretaries and vacancies among party vice-presidents. Most contentious, however, will be the re-constitution of the BJP Parliamentary Board which is full to the occupancy of 12 members. Shah’s elevation will automatically make him Parliamentary Board chairman necessitating exit of one of the existing members as the party constitution allows for only 12 members. Party leaders indicated that party general secretary Ananth Kumar, who is nominated by the party president into the Parliamentary Board, may be eased out.

Shah will also have to appoint new party presidents in four states – Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.

Besides, Shah will have to steer the party through the forthcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Jharkhand in next few months time.