TN BJP Core Committee picks district presidents

CHENNAI: The BJP State Core Committee has finalised the selection of new district presidents, adhering to a transparent and unbiased process.

This move aims to ensure the party's growth and development in the districts while maintaining clean and untainted leadership.

According to highly placed sources, the selection process was conducted in accordance with guidelines issued by the top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

"The State Core Committee, which met at the Kamalalayam, TN BJP headquarters, under the chairmanship of BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Wednesday, meticulously evaluated the credentials of potential candidates, giving paramount importance to their integrity, leadership skills, and commitment to the party's ideology, " sources said.

"In a significant departure from the past, the party has deliberately avoided selecting district presidents based on their loyalty to individual leaders or tenure in the party. Instead, the focus has been on identifying candidates who possess a clean track record, are capable of leading the party in a structured manner, and have the vision to ensure the party's growth in the districts.

The selection process involved a rigorous scrutiny of candidates, with the District Election Observer and the Returning Officer recommending names that were subsequently cross-checked with the Lok Sabha constituency in charge. This meticulous approach ensured that only the most suitable candidates were selected for the coveted posts, ' a senior leader told DT Next.

The list of new district presidents has been forwarded to the Delhi BJP headquarters, where it is expected to receive final approval from the party's national high command.

The official announcement is likely to be made in the next couple of days.

In addition to the district president elections, the BJP is also gearing up for the state president election.

Annamalai, the current state president of Tamil Nadu, is contesting for the post.

However, unlike the district president elections, the party may take a more personalised approach in the state president election, considering future interests and arithmetic calculations.

"The state president election process is expected to follow a similar transparent and democratic approach. The BJP's national leadership will play a crucial role in selecting the new state president, taking into account the party's overall strategy and goals, " another leader told this correspondent.

Along with the organizational elections, the BJP State Core Committee also discussed the forthcoming Erode (East) by-poll, scheduled to take place on February 5.

After deliberations, the committee unanimously decided that the party will contest the by-poll directly, marking a significant shift in its strategy.

This decision was taken in the light of the AIADMK's departure from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Senior party leaders, including BJP national in-charge for Tamil Nadu Arvind Menon, co-in-charge Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Union Minister L Murugan, state president K Annamalai, and others, attended the Core Committee meeting.