Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 26: The BJP is likely to revamp its 12-member Parliamentary Board, the party's apex decision-making body, by around August 30, with younger leaders and three to four serving chief ministers being considered for inclusion, according to party sources.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is emerging as a prominent contender, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are also being discussed. West Bengal's Suvendu Adhikari is another name doing the rounds, although sources said no final decision has been taken. Recent reports have also identified Fadnavis, Adityanath and Sarma among the leading possibilities for the reshuffle.
The proposed changes assume significance because the Parliamentary Board plays a key role in recommending candidates for the posts of prime minister and chief ministers. The BJP is also looking ahead to Assembly elections in several states in 2027 and 2028, followed by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Sources said three to four serving chief ministers could be accommodated in the revamped body. Former party president Jagat Prakash Nadda could be dropped to make room for one of them, although discussions are still under way.
The current board includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Nitin Nabin, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Nadda and other senior leaders. The BJP's official Parliamentary Board listing also includes former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa.
Party sources said representation of major communities and regions would also be taken into account. A leader from South India could find a place in the revamped body.
Fadnavis has attracted particular attention because of his close association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). BJP sources said the RSS is keen to see him elevated as a young face in central politics. Maharashtra currently has no representative on the Parliamentary Board, although Union minister Nitin Gadkari was previously a member.
"Presently, no serving chief minister of any state is a member of the BJP's Parliamentary Board. Therefore, some BJP leaders have reservations and apprehensions about the appointment of Devendra Fadnavis," a senior BJP leader, who requested anonymity, was quoted as saying.
Another leader said Fadnavis' induction could pave the way for his entry into national politics and potentially put him in the race for the prime minister's post.
"If Fadnavis gets place in BJP's parliamentary board then that will clear the path for his entry into national politics. And he will be in the race for the prime minister's post as well because after Nitin Gadkari, Fadnavis is the blue-eyed boy of RSS," the leader said.
Fadnavis has previously said he has no plans to move to Delhi and that he has been entrusted with the responsibility of Maharashtra. However, speculation about a larger role for him at the national level has intensified following the BJP's organisational changes.
The proposed Parliamentary Board reshuffle could also have wider organisational implications. Sources said the Central Election Committee and National Executive are likely to be reconstituted after the board is revamped, with the National Executive expected to include more young leaders.
The BJP last substantially reshuffled its Parliamentary Board in 2022. The current discussions are part of a wider organisational restructuring following Nitin Nabin's appointment as party president and the formation of his new team.
The party has previously used the Parliamentary Board to signal its future leadership direction. Narendra Modi, then Gujarat chief minister, was removed from the board by Rajnath Singh in 2006 and was re-inducted in 2013, a year before he was projected as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.