BJP’s Historic First: Advani and Joshi Excluded from Party President Voter Roll

For the first time since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was founded in 1980, two of its tallest veterans—Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi—will not figure in the electoral college for the party’s national president’s election. The development is being seen as a symbolic yet decisive marker of the BJP’s ongoing transition to a new generation of leadership.

Election Schedule Announced

The BJP on Thursday announced the schedule for the election of its national president. The electoral college comprises 5,708 electors drawn from across the country. If a contest becomes necessary, voting will take place on January 20.

However, in line with the party’s long-standing tradition of consensus-driven leadership selection, political observers and party insiders expect former party president and Union minister Nitin Gadkari to assume the post unopposed.

Why Advani and Joshi Are Not Voters

The exclusion of Advani and Joshi stems from organisational technicalities rather than a formal decision to bar them. Under BJP rules, only members of the national council and state councils are eligible to vote in the presidential election.

While Advani—long associated with Gandhinagar in Gujarat—and Joshi—formerly the MP from Kanpur—had joined the national council through Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and later Delhi, the situation has changed this time. Delhi’s organisational elections are yet to be completed, which has left both leaders outside the current national council, rendering them ineligible to vote.

Organisational Polls Still Underway

The BJP’s internal elections follow a structured, bottom-up process, beginning at the booth level and progressing through mandal, district and state units before culminating at the national council. According to party sources, organisational elections have been completed in more than half the states, allowing the national president’s election to proceed.

However, key states including Karnataka, Haryana, Tripura and Delhi are yet to conclude their internal polls.

Margdarshak Mandal: Advisory Role Only

Both Advani and Joshi are currently members of the BJP’s Margdarshak Mandal, a body created to provide ideological guidance and mentorship. The Mandal, however, has no formal role in organisational elections or decision-making, underscoring the ceremonial nature of their current positions.

A Clear Generational Shift

The absence of Advani and Joshi from the electoral process underscores a broader generational shift within the BJP. Leaders who shaped the party’s ideological foundation and guided it through decades of political struggle are now firmly in the background, as younger leaders consolidate control over the organisation.

While the transition has been gradual, this moment stands out as a clear signal: the BJP’s old guard is stepping aside, and a new leadership cohort is firmly taking charge of the party’s future.