Nadda becomes BJP president; takes over from Amit Shah

Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday was elected unopposed as the BJP's national president, taking over the reins from Amit Shah whose tenure of five-and-a-half years saw the party turning into a formidable election-winning machinery despite occasional setbacks.

The 59-year-old leader from Himachal Pradesh, seen as an affable and low-key politician, enjoys the trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS -- the BJP's ideological mentor.

Taking over at a time when the party, despite its unprecedented win in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, suffered setbacks, including below par performances in Haryana, where it had to join hands with JJP to form government, and Maharashtra besides losing Jharkhand, Nadda will have to work on the electoral strategy without causing too many disruptions to improve the BJP's performance.

The Delhi assembly election is the first challenge for Nadda, who has been extensively touring the capital, where his party is locked in a tough fight with the Aam Aadmy Party. Bihar will also go for assembly elections by the year end.

However, his big test would be the next year's assembly polls in West Bengal, a state where the BJP has never tasted power but has emerged as a strong challenger to Mamata Banerjee-headed TMC.

Nadda's election as the 11th president of the BJP was announced by Radha Mohan Singh, incharge of the organisational election process. Nadda will have a three-year tenure.

Modi later arrived at the party headquarters to felicitate the newly-elected president at a ceremony that was attended by members of the BJP parliamentary board, its highest decision-making body, and veterans like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.

Wishing him a successful tenure, Modi said he was sure that the party will scale new heights during his presidency, while
Wishing Nadda a successful tenure, Rajnath Singh said: "I am confident the party will achieve new glory and success under his leadership. Known for his organisational experience Naddaji has always been an asset to the party."