NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP is likely to have a new president by the end of the year with the party set to embark on a massive primary membership drive, starting September 2.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief JP Nadda will become the first members of the party once the fresh drive commences.
Under the BJP constitution, such a drive is launched every five years and on its eve, everyone Prime Minister, minister or a booth worker ceases to be a member and must enrol afresh.
“All BJP members must seek a fresh membership every five years through the party’s official drive. That drive will start on September 2 in two phases. The first phase will be from September 2 to 25 and the second phase from October 1 to 15 will cover the geographical and demographic gaps left by the first phase. The second drive will be held after assessing the membership gaps in the first and determining the segments where our outreach is found lacking. Ministers, chief ministers and senior leaders will all power the membership drive,” BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde explained.
Top leaders hinted at a full-time BJP chief being elected by the year-end once the membership drive followed by state-level organisational overhaul is complete.
Asked why a working president had not been named this time in a repeat of 2019 when Nadda was named as the working chief after Amit Shah was sent to the Cabinet, a BJP leader said, “Working president can be named anytime by the party’s parliamentary board but the likelihood this time appears low.”
The term of Nadda, who got a year’s extension as the BJP chief in 2023, ended in June this year, but he is continuing.
Sources said changing the president on the eve of four Assembly elections would not send the right signals.
Under the BJP constitution, the active membership drive (October 16-31) follows the primary membership drive and only an active member can contest elections and be part of the organisational polls. An active member is anyone who has worked in the party for three years, made 50 members and paid Rs 100 membership fee.
“Primary membership is free. Active membership, which follows primary membership, has a fee of Rs 100,” Tawde said. Active members across BJP’s organisational units then choose delegates, who eventually elect the BJP chief. For the primary membership, the BJP today issued a missed call number 8800002024 where people can call to become members.