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New Delhi:  The nomination process to elect the 12th national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will commence in the national capital on Monday, with the party’s national working president Nitin Nabin expected to be the lone contender.

Preparations for filing Nabin’s nomination papers were underway on Sunday, with sets of proposers being finalised. Several Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states are expected to propose his candidature.

Vishnu Deo Sai, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday night, will be among the proposers. Nabin currently serves as the BJP’s in-charge for Chhattisgarh. Other BJP Chief Ministers have also reached the capital for the election process.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be the main proposer for Nabin. If no other candidate files a nomination, Nabin will be declared elected unopposed as the BJP national president.

He will replace J P Nadda, whose five-year term will conclude with the election of the new party chief. Article XIX of the party constitution governs the election of the BJP national president. The president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the national council and state councils.

Under party rules, any 20 members of a state’s electoral college can jointly propose a candidate, provided the nominee has been an active party member for at least four terms and has completed 15 years of total membership. Such a proposal must come from at least five states where national council elections have been completed, and the candidate’s consent is mandatory.

The BJP national council includes members elected by state councils; at least 10 per cent of party Members of Parliament; all former national presidents; state presidents; leaders of the party in Parliament and state legislatures; up to 40 nominated members; all members of the national executive; and presidents of allied morchas and party cells.