BJP asserts itself through 2 posts: Lok Sabha Speaker, party president
With BJP keen to establish dominance in NDA, Om Birla is likely to be made LS Speaker again; election for BJP chief post may be a battle for dominance within Sangh Parivar
It is not just the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners that the BJP leadership is preparing to assert itself with. The upcoming internal election for the post of the next BJP president is likely to become an interesting battle for dominance within the party.
'No dispute over Speaker'
“There was never a demand by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. The TDP is very clear that we are not asking our alliance partners for the post and to make it clear, we have never conveyed to the BJP that we want this post,” senior TDP leader Kalva Srinivasulu told The Federal.
The central leadership of the BJP feels the Opposition leadership is trying to create differences between the BJP, JD(U) and TDP. “There is a false campaign against TDP that it is interested in the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. The TDP leadership has not made any such demands to the Union government or to the BJP leadership," a senior BJP leader involved in the negotiation with the TDP and JD(U) told The Federal.
"It is an unfair allegation and it is completely false. The BJP was always sure that the post of Lok Sabha Speaker would be with the BJP. There was no discussion over the post with the TDP. In the last few days, Om Birla has already met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda, so it is clear that most likely he will again become the Lok Sabha Speaker,” the leader added.
Battle for dominance
The upcoming internal election for the post of the next BJP president is likely to become an interesting battle for dominance within the party, but the party is keen that the new head should work in tandem with the Modi 3.0 regime.
Although the BJP keeps the leadership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead, informed about the important decisions of the party, senior BJP leaders are keen that the next party chief should work in tandem with the Union government.
The BJP internal machinery should work along with the Union government to improve the electoral chances of the party and there should be complete coordination between the BJP leadership and the Union government, the top leadership feels.