Although JP Nadda’s term as the BJP President was over in January 2024, he has been getting extensions since then even as the hunt for his successor goes on.
Although a lot of names have been bandied about, there has still been no final call taken on such an important appointment.
Recently, when Mohan Bhagwat was asked this question, he responded saying, “That will be decided by the BJP. We don’t interfere in their affairs. Had it been us, would it have taken us so long?”
Nevertheless, there has never been a BJP President appointed without the blessings of Nagpur.
Before the 2024 elections, Modi and Amit Shah had so dominated the BJP that they decided to take a swipe at the RSS itself from the shoulders of Nadda.
In an interview given to ‘Indian Express’, Nadda said the BJP no longer needed the RSS and was capable of fighting elections on its own.
The result was that RSS stayed away from the elections and BJP that was looking at 400+ did not even get a majority on its own.
Bhagwat also criticized Modi indirectly at public forums. The end result was that Modi and Amit Shah realized that the BJP could never form a government on its own without support from RSS. They sought to reconcile with Bhagwat.
The RSS now wants a BJP President who will not be a ‘rubber stamp’ to Modi and Shah but act as a counterweight to them or someone who is confident and capable of acting independently.
Rumour has it that RSS wants Sanjay Joshi as the Party President. Sanjay Joshi, a bachelor from Maharashtra RSS was sent to Gujarat in the 1990’s where he and Modi worked together to bring the BJP to power there for the first time.
But the two men soon turned into bitter enemies and Modi had Joshi removed as the National Secretary. At the grassroots level, Joshi is highly popular with the cadre for his austere lifestyle and sincerity.
Apparently, RSS is pushing for the elevation of Joshi as BJP President, something totally unpalatable to Modi and Shah. But here’s the catch!
If Modi and Shah refuse Joshi, they will have to agree to some other Post for him and RSS can easily bring him back as a General Secretary.
Either way, it will be a counter to Modi and one from which there seems to be no escape!
