NEW DELHI, Jan 19: Five-time legislator from Bihar Nitin Nabin is set to be formally elected the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday after he emerged as the sole candidate for the top party post.
Thirty-seven sets of nomination papers, each endorsed by top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outgoing BJP president JP Nadda, and chief ministers of several states, such as Gujarat, Delhi, and Chhattisgarh, were filed in favour of Nabin, currently the working president, as the BJP national president on Monday.
“On scrutiny, all sets of nomination papers were found to be duly-filled in the required format and were valid. Now, after the period of withdrawal, only one name, that of Nitin Nabin, has been proposed for the post of national president,” K Laxman, the returning officer for the election, announced at the party headquarters in Delhi on Monday evening.
“On 16th January 2026, the notification of the schedule of events was announced and the electoral roll was published. As per the schedule, today, the nomination process was completed between 2 pm and 4 pm and 37 sets of nomination papers were received in favour of Nitin Nabin for the post of national president,” he said, adding that Nabin’s candidacy was backed by senior leaders.
Among others, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav, Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Puri and several other members of the parliamentary party proposed and seconded his nomination. Laxman said the organisational election was initiated after the election of 30 state presidents (out of 36 States). According to the party’s constitution, the process to elect the national president can begin once elections are completed in 50% of the state units.
Nabin’s elevation to the party’s top post signals a generational shift, which will give a platform to the younger generation. He will be the party’s youngest chief. Senior party leaders said the organisational election illustrated the party’s internal democracy.
“…While other parties remain confined to family-centric politics, the BJP is the only party that selects its leadership in a transparent, participatory, and democratic manner, from the booth level to the national level,” the party’s official statement on the polls read.
Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said, “It is a moment of joy for Bihar and a historic day for the Bharatiya Janata Party as the youngest national president, Nitin Nabin, will file his nomination today…” Former Union minister Anurag Thakur said the BJP’s decision to select Nitin Nabin was not only a matter of pride for the party but also for the nation. “This is a big message from PM Modi to Gen Z, inviting them to join politics… In the coming elections, we will fight under the leadership of Nitin Nabin, and PM Modi’s popularity will help us win,” said Thakur, who was the head of the Yuva Morcha when Nabin was the outfit’s general secretary.
(Manas Dasgupta)
