Shah likely to remain at helm during assembly polls in three states

BJP president Amit Shah is likely to remain at the helm during assembly elections in three states slated for later this year as the party's organisational poll is expected to stretch for several months before newly-elected members of its national council meet to elect Shah's successor.

Shah has been inducted as home minister in the Narendra Modi government, triggering speculation that he may make way for a new party president.

Party sources said the current office bearers will continue in their position till organisational elections are over, indicating that Shah will remain at the helm till then.

Organisational polls will start only after the party's drive to enrol new members ends.

The BJP is expected to announce the schedule of its membership drive in a few days with its leaders saying that it may be launched from July 6, the birth anniversary of its founder ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Assembly polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are scheduled for later this.

While polls in Haryana and Maharashtra were held in October in 2014, Jharkhand had gone to elections in November-December in 2014.

Shah has already held meetings with BJP core group members of these three states to deliberate on its strategy for the polls.

The saffron party is in power in all the three states.