Gujarat BJP to elect new state president on October 4

AHMEDABAD: After months of speculation and a year-long delay, the Gujarat BJP is finally set to elect its new state president. With the form-filling process beginning on 3 October and voting scheduled for 4 October, the suspense over caste and regional equations has intensified. Sources say the next president is likely to be an OBC leader, balancing against the Patidar chief minister and shaping the partys strategy ahead of local polls in December and the 2027 Assembly elections. The one-year-long uncertainty over the Gujarat BJPs state president has finally reached a decisive point. After prolonged deliberations, the party has officially announced the election schedule, ending months of speculation and backroom manoeuvring. According to the programme, forms will be filled on 3 October between 11 am and 2 pm, followed by verification from 3 pm to 4 pm. Candidates will have the option to withdraw between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. The next morning, voting will be conducted from 10 to 11 am on 4 October, with the counting and announcement of results by 11:30 am. This election holds unusual significance because of the caste and regional balancing act the BJP leadership has been struggling with for nine months. While Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel hails from the Patidar community and represents Ghatlodia in central Gujarat, outgoing state president C.R. Patil represents South Gujarat. That makes it almost certain, insiders say, that the new president will be chosen from the OBC community, most likely from Saurashtra or North Gujarat. The importance of this exercise is not merely symbolic. With local body elections scheduled in December and the 2027 Assembly polls on the horizon, the new state president will carry the responsibility of ensuring a united front while managing the factional pulls of leaders like Amit Shah, Anandiben Patel, and C.R. Patil, each of whom commands significant influence within Gujarat BJP. Meanwhile, the political buzz at Kamalam, the party headquarters in Gandhinagar, has reached fever pitch. Preparations are underway, with a pavilion being built, as leaders and workers keenly debate caste equations and ideological leanings. Since the chief minister is a Patidar, the consensus is that the presidents chair is reserved for an OBC leader, a move aimed at electoral arithmetic and broader social outreach. Adding to the intrigue is the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Traditionally watchful, the RSS has been unusually assertive this time. At the 25 August Kamalam meeting held to plan Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday Seva Pakhwada, RSS Gujarat Prant Karyavah Shailesh Patel was seen alongside BJP MLAs, MPs, and office-bearers, the first such joint appearance in years. Sources suggest that the Sangh is keen on a president with a clear ideological grounding, further complicating the already delicate selection process. The political shadow of Anandiben Patel, now Governor of Uttar Pradesh, also looms large. Her recent Gujarat visit, including a stop at Khodaldham in Kagwad, Rajkot, is being read as significant. Sources claim she met several state leaders and may have conveyed the ground mood to the national leadership, shaping the final choice of president. For the BJP, the stakes could not be higher. The party knows that in Gujarat, where caste and regional identity can tilt the political balance, the choice of the next state president will decide not just the December civic polls but also lay the foundation for the 2027 Assembly battle.