New Delhi:
Amit Shah, who scripted the BJP's spectacular victory in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha polls, has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Rajnath Singh as the party president, say sources.
Rajnath Singh has held hectic consultations with the the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP's ideological mentor, over who will be his successor.
Mr Shah, 50, is presently a BJP general secretary, and enjoys the complete trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After Mr Singh was picked by the RSS to head the BJP last year, he appointed Mr Shah as one of the general secretaries. He was later asked to manage the party's affairs in Uttar Pradesh.
Both Mr Modi and Mr Shah hail from Gujarat. If Mr Shah is appointed BJP President, it'll mean that Mr Modi will have a dominant say in the party's internal affairs too.
Mr Singh's appointment as the Union Home Minister had made it imperative for the BJP to look for a new president as party rules forbid any leader from holding dual posts.
Mr Shah's name found favour with the RSS ahead of the other two contenders -JP Nadda and Om Mathur. Like Mr Shah, both are BJP general secretaries. While Mr Nadda is from Himachal Pradesh, Mr Mathur hails from Rajasthan.