JP Nadda picked new BJP national president
NEWDELHI: Jagat Prakash Nadda was on Monday elected unopposed as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party following the party’s organisational poll process, taking over from Amit Shah whose tenure saw the party turning into a formidable el ection- winning machinery despite occasional setbacks.
Soft-spoken, unassuming, yet resolute, the 59-year-old BJP leader from Himachal Pradesh generally maintains a low profile, but that has not stopped his ascent to the top in the boisterous world of Indian politics.
In 2014, when the BJP led by Narendra Modi s wept t he national polls, many were surprised when Nadda’s name did the rounds for the top job in the party, which was then studded with stalwarts from Arun Jaitley to Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari.
The position, however, was bestowed on Amit Shah, who along with Modi had shot to national limelight after delivering a stunning 73 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
Nadda then joined the Union Cabinet and served as the health minister.
But in 2019, when Shah took over as the Union home minister, there was little doubt that it was time for Nadda to come to the fore. He was appointed the BJP’S working president, a clear indication that the man who enjoys the confidence of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP’S ideological mentor RSS, Nadda is virtually the third most powerful in the present political set up.
The Delhi assembly election is the first challenge for Nadda, who has been touring the capital extensively as the BJP works overtime to oust the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from power.