Delhi BJP to push young faces, age limit set for block, district president posts

Dividing the city into 14 districts and 280 blocks, the state unit has to select general secretaries, vice-presidents, secretaries, morcha heads, media panelists, spokespersons and in-charges this month. The new team will have its task cut out as it gears up to contest the MCD polls in 2022, where it has been in power for over a decade.

The meeting was attended by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh and women’s wing national president Vijaya Rahatkar, appointed as central observers for formation of the new state team. Party MPs were also present.

Sources said around half the existing team is likely to see changes, with young people preferred over the old guard to improve the party’s structure and performance in the national capital. The BJP has been out of power for 23 years in Delhi. It currently has eight MLAs in the 70-member Vidhan Sabha.

A BJP MP said the central leadership has asked them to start preparing a future pool of leaders, as was seen in the selection of Adesh Gupta as state president.

Sources said party leaders have been asked to suggest names of people who have worked for the organisation at the grass-root level, and not just those who are vocal on social media.

Sources said a former MP suggested during the meeting that leaders seeking appointment as district or block president must give an undertaking that they will not demand a party ticket in the municipal polls, as it leads to office bearers focusing mostly on that ward from where they are planning to contest. However, the suggestion was opposed by another MP.

This is the first time that the central unit had to appoint two observers to oversee formation of the Delhi team, due to factionalism in the state unit.