Caste Conundrum Hangs on New BJP Chief Puzzle

BJP President ‘Election’ Now in Last Minute Spin

By MANISH ANAND

New Delhi, May 5, 2025 — Incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Jagat Prakash Nadda now has an extended run in a single-term of three-year to almost set a precedent for his successor to aim for a long haul. The new BJP president puzzle has almost exhausted the party observers to abandon further probing the issue.

But the BJP’s inability to ‘elect’ new chief now bears signature of an assertive Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). This is now a verdict of those who closely track the BJP-RSS relations.

RSS chief (Sarsanghchalak) Mohan Bhagwat spent several days in New Delhi last month. A day after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 7, Lok Kalyan Marg with Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah in the attendance brought a somersault in the BJP. Modi-led government at the Centre found virtues in the caste census.

The caste factor will now weigh high on BJP ‘electing’ the new chief, asserts party insiders, who qualify that the factor always plays out in the exercise but now it has centrality.

“The time may have come for other backward caste (OBC) face as the BJP president. This is a direct fallout of the BJP’s U-turn on the caste census,” said a source in the BJP.

An OBC BJP president will also disturb the current chemistry within the ruling dispensation. An OBC face as Prime Minister and an upper caste BJP president hold the current equation of Modi and Nadda at the helm of the government and the party.

“If an OBC becomes the next BJP president, then the question will come on Prime Minister. One may begin speculating that next Prime Minister from the could be from upper castes,” said a senior political observer.

The caste question on BJP’s choice for next Prime Minister will become relevant when Modi decides to vacate the post. The consensus view in the BJP-RSS currently suggests that Modi will not retire when he turns 75 years of age on September 17 this year.

“But Modi may retire one day; it could be any day in future. The question then will confront the BJP-RSS to strike the caste balance. If the next BJP president comes from OBC background, the RSS may prevail to stick to the caste equation,” said a source in the BJP.

Nadda, a Brahmin, had succeeded Shah as the BJP chief in 2019. Shah is also counted with an upper caste tag by the BJP leaders. Modi for the BJP has so far been party’s top OBC face.

Caste Census: BJP holds Ace with Rohini Commission Report

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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