india

Updated: Jun 05, 2019 07:52 IST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold its organisational elections next month, according to the functionaries of the ruling party aware of the development. The polls are held after every three years.

It is, however, unclear whether Amit Shah, 54, who took over as Union home minister after the BJP returned to power last month, will retain or relinquish his national president role until the elections are completed in six months. Shah was elected as BJP’s national president after the 2016 organisational elections. A one-year extension he got, along with his entire team across the country, expires in January.

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Around 2,500 national council members will decide who will succeed Shah. “We have a democratic system, where elections are held from the mandal to national president’s level,’’ said BJP’s general secretary (organisation) Arun Singh, who is in charge of poll preparations. “It is called Sangathan Parv [organisational festival).’’

Singh and other office-bearers said Shah will continue to be as party chief until further notice. The BJP’s constitution does allow two terms for the same person. BJP office-bearers said the organisational polls are an exhaustive process and whether Shah continues or not is the focus of this election from July.

The process kicks off with the membership drive to enrol 25% new members. One of Shah’s key achievements has been an increase in the membership from 30 million to 110 million.

In the second part of the process, active members then verify the new ones. This is followed by appointment of election in charges to begin the process for elections at mandal president, district president, and state and then finally at the national president’s level.