The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is often projected as a party that thrives on decisive and swift leadership. The image carefully built over the last decade is one of a tightly managed political machine where crucial decisions are taken without delay. Yet, reality suggests otherwise. Like any large organisation&mdash;or indeed like any family&mdash;decision-making within the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), can be painfully slow, at times stretching for months or even years.
The most glaring example of this indecision has been the search for a new national president. For over a year, the party has failed to find a replacement for J.P. Nadda, whose term, according to the party&rsquo;s constitution, ought to have ended nearly two years ago. Instead, his tenure was extended, first until June 2024, and later informally beyond December 2024. The justification was simple: the leadership in both the BJP and RSS could not agree on a successor acceptable to both camps.
This hesitation reveals a deeper reality&mdash;the rift between the Sangh and the BJP&rsquo;s central leadership. While never spoken of publicly, insiders confirm that the RSS wants a figure rooted in organisational discipline, one who reflects its ideological rigor. The BJP&rsquo;s top brass, however, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, prefers a leader with strong electoral credentials and loyalty to the current power structure. The deadlock reflects this fundamental tension.
During the past eighteen months, several names have surfaced and faded in Delhi&rsquo;s political corridors. From Sanjay Joshi, a senior RSS pracharak long sidelined, to Mohanlal Khattar, the former Haryana Chief Minister, to even Vasundhara Raje, speculation has been rife. Recently, the spotlight turned briefly on Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, whose long administrative experience and mass appeal made him a serious contender. Yet consensus never materialised.
Now, three fresh names dominate conversations&mdash;Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra&rsquo;s Chief Minister, and&nbsp;Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister. But most intriguingly, Parshottam Rupala, Gujarat MP and former Union Minister, has entered the race.
<h3 data-start="2623" data-end="2647">Why Rupala Matters</h3>
Rupala&rsquo;s possible elevation is politically sensitive. A Patidar leader from Gujarat, Rupala represents both regional pride and caste strength. If he is appointed as BJP&rsquo;s national president, the consequences will ripple directly into Gujarat&rsquo;s state politics.
His rise would immediately alter the caste and community balance within the state&rsquo;s power structure. A Patidar at the helm of the national party means that neither the Gujarat Chief Minister nor the state BJP president can be a Patidar&mdash;to avoid concentration of power within one community. This opens up the likelihood of a Dalit, tribal, or OBC leadertaking over as the state BJP president. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister could continue to be from the upper castes, with a Deputy Chief Minister chosen from another community to balance equations.
Such a reshuffle would not merely be symbolic. It would reflect the BJP&rsquo;s continuing strategy of social engineering&mdash;ensuring every community feels represented, while simultaneously preventing any single group from consolidating dominance.
<h3 data-start="3725" data-end="3759">The Gujarat Cabinet Question</h3>
Interestingly, the delay in reshuffling the Gujarat cabinet and in appointing a new state BJP president is being interpreted as a deliberate pause. Observers suggest that the leadership in Delhi may be holding back on these decisions because Rupala&rsquo;s fate at the national level is still being weighed. Should he be elevated, the state-level adjustments will follow accordingly.
This deliberate delay only strengthens speculation that the party is preparing to project Rupala as a national face. For Gujarat, it would mean a reshaping of both the party and government structures. The ripple effect could be profound: from ticket distribution in the next state elections to the balance of power between Patidars, Dalits, tribals, and upper castes.
<h3 data-start="4521" data-end="4545">The Larger Picture</h3>
The unresolved leadership question also underscores a broader challenge for the BJP: how to maintain cohesion between the Sangh and the Modi-Shah leadership. The RSS continues to wield influence, but Modi&rsquo;s dominance has shifted the power equation. The search for a new president is, in many ways, a test of whether the two can find common ground.
If Rupala does become the consensus candidate, it would signal a temporary truce between Sangh expectations and Modi-Shah preferences&mdash;with Gujarat once again providing a leader to the national party. But if the impasse continues, it will further expose the under-wrapped rift within the Sangh Parivar, a crack that, though managed, is becoming increasingly visible.
In sum, the race for BJP&rsquo;s national presidency is far more than a routine organisational appointment. It is a mirror of the internal contradictions, caste balancing, and ideological negotiations that continue to shape the country&rsquo;s most powerful political party.

If Rupala becomes BJP chief, Gujarat’s caste balance and cabinet politics may shift

Rupala in BJP President Race: Sangh-BJP Rift?

If Rupala becomes BJP chief, Gujarat’s caste balance and cabinet politics may shift

September 4, 2025 | 15:45 IST