BJP extends Amit Shah's tenure

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to defer its organisational elections, paving the way for Amit Shah to continue as the party's national president until the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The decision was discussed during a meeting of BJP office-bearers, state presidents and general secretaries in charge of organisation, chaired by Shah ahead of the party's two-day National Executive meeting. A formal resolution on postponing the organisational polls was expected to be adopted by the National Executive.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said organisational elections were a lengthy exercise involving party workers across the country and that discussions were underway to postpone the process until after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Under the BJP constitution, an eligible party member can serve as president for two consecutive three-year terms. Shah was elected unopposed for his second full three-year term on January 24, 2016, after initially taking over from Rajnath Singh in July 2014. His current term was scheduled to end on January 26, 2019.

Shah's continuation would allow the BJP to enter the 2019 general election under the same organisational leadership that oversaw the party's expansion following its 2014 victory.

Shah had played a key role in the BJP's 2014 campaign in Uttar Pradesh, where the party and its allies won 73 of the state's 80 Lok Sabha seats. He subsequently became one of the central figures in the party's organisational strategy.

Briefing the media about the office-bearers' meeting, BJP Secretary Rahul Sinha said Shah had told party leaders that the BJP would fight the 2019 election on the record of the Narendra Modi government and the strength of its organisation.

Sinha said the BJP believed the opposition was attempting to create confusion among voters but claimed the party would return to power with a larger majority.

The party has also planned a large-scale outreach campaign targeting beneficiaries of central government welfare schemes. According to Sinha, around 22 crore people had benefited from various government schemes, and nearly nine crore BJP workers would be mobilised to connect with them.

The party's booth-level workers have been assigned the task of reaching out to beneficiaries and ensuring that voters are mobilised to polling stations during the election.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to address the BJP National Executive on Sunday afternoon, where the party's political and electoral strategy ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was expected to receive significant attention.

The decision to defer organisational elections effectively ensures continuity in the BJP's leadership as the party prepares for a crucial general election.