BJP to announce new national president on January 20; Nitin Nabin likely to be elected unopposed

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will announce the name of its new national president on January 20, with nominations for the post scheduled to be filed a day earlier on January 19, the party said on Friday.

The post is widely expected to go to BJP national working president Nitin Nabin, who is likely to be elected unopposed, according to party sources. The five-time MLA from Bihar was appointed as the party’s national working president on December 14 last year, a move seen as signalling a generational shift within the ruling party.

Nabin is expected to file his nomination next week. With little possibility of another contender entering the race, party insiders say his election is virtually certain.

Outgoing BJP president JP Nadda had followed a similar path. He was first appointed national working president in June 2019 before succeeding Amit Shah as party chief after being elected unopposed on January 20, 2020.

The 45-year-old Nabin is the son of late BJP veteran and former MLA Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha. He is considered ideologically grounded and closely associated with the party organisation, with roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He represents the Bankipur assembly constituency in Bihar and has served twice as a minister in the state government.

Election process

BJP chief election officer K Lakshman will oversee the election process and formally announce the new party president.

According to an ANI report, three sets of nomination papers will be filed. One set will carry the signatures of over 20 elected BJP state presidents. Another will be endorsed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and outgoing president JP Nadda. The third set will include signatures from members of the BJP National Council.