The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave two big headlines from the corridor of politics on Sunday – one by election the chief its Uttar Pradesh unit and the other by announcing name of party’s national working president. Seven-time MP Pankaj Chaudhary was made the UP BJP chief while Bihar minister Nitin Nabin was made the BJP national working president.
Anything that BJP does, people close to the party say is not random. The choice of both leaders for two key posts is also not just a generic one. The saffron party has been discussing heavily on the national president of the party – currently held by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda.
Interestingly, the BJP does not have a provision of a working president. So, why the appointment?
Nitin Nabin 2nd person to hold post
Nitin Nabin is the second person in the BJP’s history to hold the post of a working president. Before him, JP Nadda held the post early in 2019, before he was made the party chief. Many see the designation a stepping stone before making a member the national president of the party.
Nadda was made the working president after Amit Shah became Union Home Minister. Six months later, he was promoted as party chief and now it has been six years since he took on the leadership role. The BJP Constitution, reported NDTV, states that a leader can serve as President for two terms of three years each.
Many leaders believe the appointment of a working president is a temporary arrangement.
Khar Maas and election of heads in states
There are others reasons, believed to be behind the announcement on Dec 14. From Monday, Khar Maas has begun – which is a month-long period considered not auspicious in Hindu religion. This will end on January 14 with Makar Sankranti. Then, the saffron party is likely to begin the national president.
Notably, the party’s rules mandates finishing organisation elections in at least of the country’s states, before election a new party chief. BJP has completed oragnisational poll in 30 of 37 states and UTs.
Bihar Minister Nitin Nabin holds the portfolio of Road Construction in the state, where the NDA emerged victorious in recently held assembly elections. He is a five-time MLA from Bankipur in Patna.
If he becomes the BJP national chief next year, he will be the youngest (45) BJP president in history, Before him, it was Nitin Gadkari who became the party chief at the age of 52.