Jagat Prakash Nadda was elected unopposed as the Bharatiya Janata Party’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 is seen as an affable and low-key politician who enjoys the trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — the BJP’s ideological mentor.
Modi congratulated Nadda on his election and said he was sure that the party will scale newer heights during his presidency.
Modi, who felicitated Nadda at the BJP headquarter in New Delhi, also praised Amit Shah for his contribution, describing him as an “outstanding karyakarta (worker)”
Congratulations to Shri @JPNadda Ji on being elected @BJP4India President. Wishing him the very best for his tenure. Nadda Ji is a dedicated and disciplined Karyakarta who has worked for years to strengthen the party at the grassroots. His affable nature is also known to all.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2020
“I do not think words can do justice to the rich contribution of Amit Shahji as BJP president. During his presidency, BJP got opportunities to serve in several parts of India,” Modi said in a series of tweets.
Nadda is largely expected to continue with the course it took under Shah with Modi laying out the broader agenda.
The Delhi assembly election is the first challenge for Nadda, who has been touring the capital extensively as the Bharatiya Janata Party works overtime to oust the Aam Aadmi Party from power.
BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who was the in-charge of the organisational election process, made the announcement of Nadda’s election as the party’s 11th president after he emerged as the only nominee in the fray.
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 body, and veterans like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
Earlier, Shah was joined by senior party leaders, including Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, besides several functionaries from state units in filing nominations in support of Nadda.
