Following the swearing-in of Modi 3.0 and the allocation of portfolios to new ministers, the ruling BJP is now confronted with two crucial tasks: selecting a new Speaker for the Lok Sabha and appointing a party chief.
JP Nadda, the BJP president, who previously served as the Health Minister in the first Narendra Modi government, has returned to the cabinet with expanded responsibilities, now overseeing the Health and Family Welfare, as well as Chemicals and Fertilizers portfolios. With upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, the new BJP president faces immediate challenges.
The BJP’s next agenda item is to finalize the NDA’s choice for the Lok Sabha Speaker. Notably, N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and Nitish Kumar’s JDU, crucial allies of the BJP, are vying for the position, reflecting its strategic importance in maintaining the government’s majority amidst past party defections and government collapses. The Speaker plays a pivotal role, especially in enforcing the anti-defection law.
While speculation surrounds potential candidates for the Speaker’s position, including Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeshwari, sources within the BJP indicate a reluctance to concede the post. Purandeshwari, a seasoned politician with a Congress background, holds a significant political lineage and has risen within the BJP ranks since joining the party in 2014.
The vacancy of the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, a position left unfilled during Modi 2.0, raises further questions about BJP’s strategy in distributing key positions among its allies. During Modi 1.0, the position was held by M Thambidurai of the AIADMK, an ally at the time. Whether the BJP retains this post or offers it to its allies remains to be seen.
