With Shah in Cabinet, will J P Nadda become the BJP president?

New Delhi, May 31: J P Nadda may not have got a second term as minister in the Narendra Modi government, but he is one of the frontrunners for the post of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president.

With Amit Shah joining the Cabinet, the likelihood of him continuing as a BJP chief seems remote. While in some quarters it is being said that he could handle both his portfolio as well as party affairs, sources indicate that the chances are very remote.

Sources tell OneIndia that Nadda is among the frontrunners for the post. Shah had taken over as BJP president from Rajnath Singh in 2014. His three year term was to expire in January 2016, but it was extended until 2019.

Nadda who is considered close to Shah had played a crucial role in the 2019 elections. He supervised the party's machinery in Uttar Pradesh, where it won 62 of the 80 seats.

In government as a health minister Nadda is credited with rolling out one of the worlds biggest health schemes, Ayushman Bharat. Under this Rs 5 lakh cover has been promised per year for 10 crore families who are listed as poor in the socio-economic caste census.

If Nadda is given the top billing in the party, then his first major challenges would be the 2019 assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkand and the 2020 Delhi elections.