Rajnath Singh's tenure may be extended

Agencies

New Delhi: The National Executive and National Council meeting of the BJP is likely to decide on partry chief Rajnath Singh's extension till December 2010.

This decision will be taken in the event of ensuing Lok Sabha elections due this summer. "A presidential election in the party is a one-year- long process. It starts with the membership campaign followed by the series of organisational polls starting from the block level till the centre," party sources say.

A proposal for extension of the tenure could come up during the National Executive meet on February six in Nagpur and would be ratified during the two-day National Council to be followed for the next two days, sources added.

Some senior leaders, however, are of the view that no separate ratification of the extension is required as according to the party constitution Rajnath can continue as the chief till organisational elections are held. "The one year addition is due to procedural delays.

The party organisation is concentrating on the general elections. The president can continue till someone else is elected after due process," another general secretary said.