BJP may get its first woman president: Nirmala Sitharaman, D Purandeswari among likely picks
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is undergoing a significant organisational reshuffle. Following the recent appointments of state and Union territory unit chiefs, the focus has now shifted to selecting the party's next national president.
JP Nadda has held the top post since 2020. Although his term ended in 2023, it was extended until 2024 to lead the party through the Lok Sabha elections. With that phase complete, sources told Live Hindustan that the BJP is now likely to appoint its first-ever woman president.
Among the frontrunners is Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has been in charge of the ministry since 2019. Her Tamil Nadu roots could benefit the party’s southern outreach. She recently met with current president JP Nadda and BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh at the party headquarters, further fuelling speculation.
Another prominent name is D Purandeswari, former Andhra Pradesh BJP chief. She played a role in the government’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ delegation, which conveyed India's anti-terror stance in key European countries including the UK, France, and Germany.
Also in contention is Vanathi Srinivasan, former BJP Mahila Morcha national president. In 2021, she gained national attention by defeating actor and MNM founder Kamal Haasan in Coimbatore South. A party member since 1993, she joined the BJP’s Central Election Committee in 2022.
Sources suggest that the party is considering a woman candidate for the top post to consolidate support among women voters—a demographic where the BJP has made notable inroads in recent years. The move may also align with the BJP’s passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2023, which guarantees 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
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Karnataka to witness heavy rain for next 10 days
Bengaluru: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the southwest monsoon will cause heavy rainfall likely this weekend and will drench Karnataka over the next 10 days.
The monsoon has begun retreating from northwestern India. Conditions remain active over the south, with an upper air trough extending up to 1.5 km over North Interior Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu, combined with weakening monsoon winds across the peninsula, is driving the current spell. N. Puviarasan, head of the IMD’s meteorological centre in Bengaluru, said in a conversation with Deccan Herald, “As a result, the whole of Karnataka will see rain over the next week to 10 days."
With a cyclone in the Pacific Ocean along with a low-pressure system over the north Bay of Bengal, the monsoon is expected to intensify during the next four days. IMD has predicted heavy rains across South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, throughout the weekend.
Bengaluru, recorded widespread moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday. Between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm, Bengaluru city logged 45.9 mm of rain accompanied by thunderstorms. HAL airport registered 6 mm and the Bengaluru Urban automatic station recorded 47.5 mm. Doddathoguru, near Electronics City, reported 55 mm.
According to IMD forecast heavy rainfall will occur at isolated places in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Yadgir, Koppal, Raichur, Ramanagara and Mandya districts in the next few days.
The southwest monsoon is now expected to extend until mid-October and with little or no break in between, the northeast monsoon is likely to follow immediately. These are expected to last until December. “There may be no break in between,” Puviarasan said.
