Nitin Nabin elected unopposed as BJP President

New Delhi, Jan 19: Five-time Bihar MLA Nitin Nabin was on Monday elected unopposed as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), becoming the youngest leader at 45 to assume the party’s top organisational post. His election comes at a crucial time as the BJP looks to expand its footprint with key Assembly elections approaching in several states.

Nabin emerged as the sole candidate for the post, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders filing nomination papers in his support. He will be formally declared BJP president on Tuesday, marking a generational shift in the party’s leadership. Founded in 1980, the BJP enters a new phase under a leader born the same year.

A low-profile and unassuming leader, Nabin resigned as Bihar’s minister for law and justice, urban development and housing after being appointed BJP working president on December 14. He will succeed J P Nadda, who has led the party since 2020 while also serving as Union health minister.

Announcing the outcome, returning officer K Laxman said only one name—Nitin Nabin—was proposed for the post of national president. A total of 37 sets of nomination papers were filed in his favour, all of which were found valid. Of these, 36 were submitted by BJP state units and one by the BJP Parliamentary Party. Prime Minister Modi, along with leaders such as Nadda, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, were among the proposers.

Laxman said the election was conducted under the BJP’s “Sangathan Parv” through a transparent and democratic process, reflecting the party’s strong organisational values and commitment to internal democracy. The process was initiated after the election of 30 state presidents, exceeding the required minimum of 50 per cent of states. The schedule was notified and the electoral roll published on January 16, 2026.

Several senior leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, were present on the occasion. As BJP president, Nabin will face the challenge of leading the party in upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam.

Nabin began his political journey in 2006 after the death of his father, BJP MLA Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha. Rising through the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, he gained recognition for his organisational skills, notably as BJP co-in-charge of the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, where the party registered a surprise victory. He has a strong electoral record, winning elections with large margins. Born in Ranchi, Nabin is married and has two children.