New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Friday released the schedule to elect its national president, saying the nominations for the post will be filed on January 19 and the name of the new chief will be announced the next day.
According to party sources, BJP national working president Nitin Nabin is likely to be elected as the national president unopposed, as there is least possibility of any other leader joining the fray.
The organisational poll schedule released by BJP national returning officer K Laxman showed that the nomination for the election of the party chief can be filed between 2 pm and 4 pm on January 19, and the nominations can be withdrawn between 5 pm and 6 pm on the same day.
Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be carried out between 4 pm and 5 pm on January 19. "Polling will be held if needed on January 20, and an official announcement of the name of the new BJP national president will be made the same day," Laxman said.
Nabin is likely to replace JP Nadda as BJP national president with party leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, backing his candidature for the post, sources said.
Incidentally, Nadda was also first appointed as the BJP's national working president in June 2019 and eventually was elected unopposed to the post of party national president on January 20, 2020, succeeding Amit Shah.
Nabin, 45, the son of late BJP veteran and former MLA Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha, is seen within the party as a dynamic leader who is ideologically rooted and deeply committed to the organisation. He comes from the RSS background.
Nabin represents Bankipur assembly constituency in Bihar and has served as a minister in the Bihar government twice.
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Guwahati (PTI): Polling for all 126 Assam assembly constituencies began on Thursday to decide the electoral fate of 722 candidates, officials said.
In the high-stakes election, the ruling BJP is aiming for a third consecutive term in office, while the Congress seeks to wrest power after being ousted in 2016.
Polling, being held in a single phase, began at 7 am and will conclude at 5 pm. Long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations from early morning.
An electorate of 2.50 crore, including 1.25 crore women and 318 from the third gender, can exercise their franchise in 31,490 polling stations across the state.
Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress state president Gaurav Gogoi, assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Leader of the opposition Debabrata Saikia, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
Several cabinet ministers, including the AGP’s Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta, and the BPF’s Charan Boro are also in the fray.
The Congress has the highest of 99 contestants, followed by the BJP (90), AIUDF (30), NDA allies AGP (26) and BPF (11).
Opposition alliance’s Raijor Dal is contesting in 13, AJP in 10, CPI(M) in 3 and APHLC in 2. Outside the two coalitions, the AAP is contesting in 18 seats, UPPL in 18, TMC 22, JMM 16 and there are 258 independents.
The ruling NDA’s main constituents are the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodo Peoples’ Front (BPF) while the opposition alliance comprises the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI(M), All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and CPI(ML).
The counting of votes is scheduled on May 4.
