Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman among speculated names for BJP's top post
Though many senior BJP leaders have not firmly backed the likelihood of any one of the three women being chosen for the top post, the names currently in circulation include former Andhra Pradesh BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari — often referred to as the "second Sushma Swaraj"— Vanathi Srinivasan (currently the national president of the BJP Mahila Morcha), and Nirmala Sitharaman, the current Finance Minister.
Sources have indicated that Purandeswari may not be eligible, as she has not yet completed 15 years in the party following her defection from the Congress — a requirement according to the BJP's constitution, which mandates that a candidate for the national president post must have been a primary member for at least 15 years. However, the party may make an exception in her case.
Vanathi Srinivasan, widely recognised within the organisation for the numerous outreach programmes conducted by the Mahila Morcha across the country is another highly placed candidate. However, a key drawback in her case is the limited fluency in the Hindi language, which is considered essential for the role.
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