Outgoing BJP president Amit Shah’s desire to retain his sway over the party may influence the contest for the party chief’s post between former Union minister J.P. Nadda and BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, insiders said.

While the RSS apparently backs Nadda, the new Union home minister is believed to favour Rajya Sabha member Bhupendra, one of his most trusted aides.

Nadda, who was health minister in Narendra Modi’s first government, has been left out of the government this time, leading to speculation that he would replace Shah as BJP president. Party insiders, however, feel that it may not be so simple.

“Internally, we are receiving indications that Bhupendra Yadav could be preferred since he has worked under Amitbhai and enjoys his trust,” a party source said, “although Naddaji too has a good equation with Amitbhai and doesn’t have a dominating character.”

Party insiders suggested that this uncertainty over who was best suited to taking over from Shah and yet working under him had prevented any forward movement on appointing a new BJP chief, even a working president.

Many feel that Shah would prefer a working president for some time till the long-drawn process of electing a new party president is completed.

“Had there been any clarity on the matter, the parliamentary board would have met by now and decided on a working or interim chief till the formal election process begins,” a BJP politician said.

J.P. Nadda Telegraph file picture

Before the formal election process for a new president starts, the BJP has to launch a membership drive and hold elections to at least half the state-level party bodies.

Nadda had been a strong contender, as well as the RSS choice, for the party chief’s post in 2014 too but lost out when Prime Minister Narendra Modi threw his weight behind Shah, sources said.

Nadda, 58, has long political and administrative experience. His initiation in politics began in 1977 when he joined Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement. He was national secretary of RSS student wing ABVP from 1986 to 1989. He rose through the ranks and was elected an MLA from home state Himachal Pradesh in 1993.

Nadda was in charge of the BJP’s election effort in Uttar Pradesh this time, and is being applauded for the party’s extraordinary performance from the state.

Bhupendra, 49, who is from Rajasthan, has very little experience of administration or mass politics. He is, however, known as a good organisational man and is an expert at handling legislative matters.

As a lawyer, he was associated with the RSS lawyers’ association. In 2010 he was appointed a BJP national secretary and, in 2012, elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.

Bhupendra’s biggest strength is that as national general secretary, he had worked closely with Shah and apparently won his trust. He was given charge of crucial states like Gujarat, Bihar and Jharkhand, and there’s a perception that he has imbibed lessons from Shah in drawing up election strategies.

“If Shah manages to bring the RSS around, Bhupendra has a strong chance. He will be best suited to working under the directions of Amitbhai,” a party insider said.