New Delhi | Jan 16, 2026

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday issued a formal notification for the election of its next national president, with nominations scheduled to be filed on Monday and the final announcement expected on Tuesday.

According to the notification, nominations will be accepted between 2 pm and 4 pm, followed by scrutiny from 4 pm to 5 pm. Candidates may withdraw their nominations between 5 pm and 6 pm. The election, if required, will be held on Tuesday; otherwise, the president’s name will be announced the same day.

The election is widely expected to be uncontested, paving the way for working president Nitin Nabin to formally assume the role, succeeding JP Nadda, who has led the party since 2020 after serving as working president from 2019.

On December 14, the BJP appointed Nabin—a five-term legislator and current Bihar minister—as its working national president, signalling a transition in leadership.

As per the BJP Constitution, the national president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the party’s national and state councils. Any candidate must be proposed jointly by at least 20 electoral college members from a state and must have completed four terms and 15 years as an active party member. Proposals must come from a minimum of five states where national council elections have been completed.

The Constitution also limits the post to two consecutive terms of three years each.

JP Nadda’s elevation in 2020 followed his appointment as working president after Amit Shah joined the Union Cabinet as home minister—marking the first time the BJP created the post of working president. His candidature was proposed by senior leaders Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari.

The incoming BJP president will face an immediate electoral challenge, with Assembly elections due in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, where the party currently governs only Assam. In 2027, polls are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Gujarat, setting the stage for a demanding political calendar.