JP Nadda elected new BJP chief

Seasoned politician Jagat Prakash Nadda was today elected unopposed as the President of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is set to be handed over the baton by his powerful predecessor and Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.

Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, emerged the only party candidate for the top post following the conclusion of nomination process at its headquarters, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Appointed as the BJP's Working President last June, Nadda succeeds Shah who was at the helm for an eventful five and half years during which the party won its biggest majority in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and expanded its footprint across the country.

Nadda's name was proposed by the top party leaders, including Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, besides several chief ministers during the nomination process.

Considered an affable and accessible politician, Nadda has been a seasoned organisational workhorse and enjoys good rapport with all top party leaders.

He was associated with the RSS' student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from his college days before joining the youth wing of the BJP and rising through its ranks.

Nadda has also served as a minister in the BJP governments in Himachal Pradesh and at the Centre for three years from 1998 to 2003.

The most immediate challenge for Nadda would be to sustain the party's dominant position in Indian politics especially after the party's recent electoral setbacks in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The BJP faces an uphill task to regain power in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections next month and then in Bihar where it shares power with Janata Dal (U) and fresh assembly polls are due later this year.

The party is also eyeing to capture West Bengal from Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress -- an arduous task.