BJP faces key decisions as Modi's third term begins

With the Modi administration's third term underway, following the swearing-in ceremony and the allocation of ministerial portfolios, the BJP faces two critical tasks: selecting a new Lok Sabha Speaker and appointing a party chief.

JP Nadda, who previously served as Health Minister during Modi's first term, has rejoined the cabinet, now overseeing Health and Family Welfare, as well as Chemicals and Fertilizers. The incoming BJP president will need to quickly adapt, with Assembly elections looming in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra later this year.

Another pressing issue for the BJP is determining the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker. Key allies, N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JDU, both crucial for the government’s majority, are reportedly vying for the position. Their interest stems from recent political upheavals that have led to party splits and government collapses, situations where the anti-defection law and the Speaker's role become pivotal. Naidu and Kumar, seasoned politicians, seek the Speaker's role as a safeguard against such scenarios.

However, BJP insiders suggest reluctance to cede the Speaker’s post. Although no official announcement has been made, Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeshwari is rumored to be a potential candidate. Purandeshwari, daughter of former Chief Minister and iconic actor NT Rama Rao, and sister-in-law of Naidu, brings significant political lineage. Her husband, Daggubati Venkateshwara Rao, is a former Congress MP who later joined the YSR Congress Party.

Initially elected to Lok Sabha as a Congress member and serving as a Union Minister under Manmohan Singh, Purandeshwari left the Congress over the decision to create Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, joining the BJP in 2014. Her exclusion from the Modi 3.0 cabinet has fueled speculation that she may be the preferred choice for the Speaker’s role.

Additionally, the Deputy Speaker position, vacant during Modi’s second term, remains to be filled. In Modi's first term, M Thambidurai of the AIADMK, then an ally, held the position. It remains to be seen if the BJP will retain this post or offer it to an ally.