The BJP on Friday appointed Bihar MP Ravi Shankar Prasad as the state election commissioner to elect the party's new Bengal president and national council members as soon as possible.

A source said the BJP has been working through multiple permutations and combinations to select a new president, who will lead the party in next year's Assembly elections — a crucial contest the party aims to win and form the government.

Though the party has changed presidents in multiple states, the appointment of a new Bengal president was delayed, even after Sukanta Majumdar's tenure ended last year. He has been on extension for the past seven months.

Appointing a new president has become a necessity for the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

According to party rules, Majumdar should be replaced by a new face. However, a section of party leaders believes that introducing someone new at this stage could be the wrong strategy. They argue the new president would not have enough time to build rapport with district-level organisations, especially when the party is already facing internal conflicts among leaders.

Majumdar was elected in 2021 as the party's state president after Dilip Ghosh. According to the BJP's organisational rules, he can be appointed for a second term.

However, a BJP leader argued that the party could opt for a familiar face within Bengal BJP — someone senior and experienced enough to manage the party’s state affairs effectively. Moreover, the party usually does not assign two key roles simultaneously, and in this case, Sukanta Majumdar is already serving as a minister of state in the Narendra Modi government.

A senior BJP leader pointed out that selecting a new president should not be a major concern, as there are precedents — such as in Maharashtra — where new state presidents have led the party to victory, even being changed before less than three months of the election.

Although no final decision has been made on whether a new face will be chosen or Majumdar will be reappointed, party sources said the appointment of the new state president will take place within a week or two.

"The decision will be taken shortly, as it is important to appoint a state president," said a BJP leader.

A source said that among the potential choices for state president are two party MPs, including one from the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, two senior party MLAs and one of the general secretaries are also being considered for the role.

Besides the state president election, the election of the party's national council members is also important, as those members will vote to elect the party's national president.