Nadda new star of Himachal politics

Taking over as the Union Cabinet minister on Sunday in the Narendra Modi-led government Jagat Prakash Nadda (J P Nadda), 53, has now emerged as the most powerful BJP leader in the hill state.

Quick to smile and hard to be provoked J P Nadda has the enviable classic politician's personality. He has already been a Cabinet minister twice in the BJP government in the state.

Nadda was member of Himachal Legislative Assembly from 1993-98, 1998-2003 and 2007-2012. He served as health minister in the state from 1998-2003 and from 2008-2010, Minister of Forest and Environment, Science and Technology. In April 2012, he was elected to Rajya Sabha and has been member of various Parliamentary Committees.

Close to Modi since the mid 1990s when he was in charge of Himachal affairs Nadda was then the leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Assembly. Modi and Nadda go a long way back. Seeing the two strolling on Shimla's Mall road was a common sight twenty years ago.

At 30 he was president of the youth wing of the BJP and unknowns like Amit Shah and a host of now senior leaders in the BJP reported to him. No wonder Nadda was the front runner for the BJP party president's post some months ago.

Nadda was inspired by the JP Movement and joined students politics. His father was a Vice Chancellor in Patna University. He spent his youth in Bihar before moving to Himachal Pradesh. With his becoming a Cabinet minister at the Centre the power equations in the state have now changed.

This is not only a blow to the two time chief minister P K Dhumal but also his MP son Anurag Thakur. Of late the father-son duo are more in the news for allegations of controversial land purchases for the Himachal cricket association which Thakur heads. While Nadda has a long innings in public life since he was a prominent ABVP leader, Anurag Thakur has been an MP for barely six years, courtesy his father.

FROM ABVP TO THE CABINET

| Born on December 2, 1960, in Patna, Nadda has emerged as a very strong political figure from the hill state in the last few years

| Nadda has a long innings in public life since he was a ABVP leader
| At 30 he was President of the youth wing of the BJP in 1991
| He has also served as leader of Opposition in the Himachal Assembly where he was an MLA before entering the Rajya Sabha
| He was a strong contender for the post of BJP president early this year
| He has already been Cabinet minister twice in the BJP government in the state