New Delhi (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday formally set in motion the election process for its next national president, with senior leaders filing nomination papers for Nitin Nabin, the party’s 45-year-old national working president, at the BJP headquarters in the national capital.
The first set of nomination papers was submitted by BJP president J.P. Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Returning Officer K. Laxman, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Several senior leaders, including Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupender Yadav, and Kiren Rijiju, were also present, reflecting the party’s united support.
Additional nomination papers were later filed by Pema Khandu, along with leaders from several states, underlining the broad national consensus behind Nabin’s candidature. The event also saw the participation of Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath, Pushkar Singh Dhami, Nayab Singh Saini, and Pramod Sawant, besides representatives from Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Jharkhand, and other states.
Appointed BJP national working president on December 14, 2025, Nitin Nabin is now set to become the party’s 12th national president and is likely to be its youngest-ever chief. His elevation is understood to have the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the party’s top leadership.
With no rival candidates having entered the fray, Nabin is widely expected to be elected unopposed by the BJP’s electoral college, which consists of members of the national and state councils. As per party rules, a candidate must secure joint proposals from at least 20 members of the electoral college from a single state and have a minimum of 15 years of party membership.
The window for withdrawal of nominations remains open until Monday evening, after which the Returning Officer will issue a formal statement. If the election remains uncontested, the official announcement of the new BJP national president is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
Welcoming the development, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary described it as a proud moment for Bihar and a historic milestone for the BJP.
A five-time MLA from Bihar, Nitin Nabin is widely regarded as an astute organisational leader. He has previously served as BJP in-charge for states such as Chhattisgarh and has been credited with playing a key role in alliance-building efforts. Since assuming charge as national working president, he has focused on preparations for upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry.
Political observers view Nabin’s elevation as a move that blends youthful energy with organisational continuity, signalling the BJP’s intent to strengthen its leadership bench while staying rooted in its ideological framework.
