Bhubaneswar, Dec 12 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Odisha unit is likely to get a new President in January next year, said the party's state in-charge, Vijaypal Singh Tomar on Thursday.

"The elections to the booth committees have been completed while the formation of mandal committees will be concluded by December 15. Later, the committees at the district and state levels will be formed. The election for the selection of State President will be held in the first week of January," Tomar added.

"Ours is a democratic party. A normal party worker can even become the National President," added Tomar.

The current Odisha BJP Chief Manmohan Samal became President of the state unit of the party in 2023. He took over the charge from former President and senior leader Sameer Mohanty.

Samal as the party President played a crucial role in the stellar performance of BJP in the 2024 general elections.

He successfully steered the party to an impressive victory in the state Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year.

The party for the first time formed a government in Odisha on its own by securing 78 seats in the 147-member Assembly while winning 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats under the leadership of Samal.

Following the stellar victory, Manmohan Samal was considered a top contender in the race for the post of Chief Minister but his defeat from the Chandabali Assembly seat went against him.

Meanwhile, the senior BJP leader, while speaking over the speculations regarding the joining of more leaders from the opposition BJD, also added that many BJD senior leaders and MLAs are in contact with the party.

Speaking on the issue, senior BJP leader and Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra said that the party will welcome the BJD MLAs and MPs wanting to join the party.