Modi's BJP eyes youth vote to elect youngest-ever president
A five-time lawmaker from the eastern state of Bihar, Nabin was elected unopposed as the BJP’s 12th president after Modi and other leaders proposed him. PHOTO:NITIN NABIN FB PAGE NITIN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday chose a little-known legislator from India’s poorest state as the party’s youngest president, marking a generational shift aimed at retaining young voters.
Nitin Nabin, 45, takes over from outgoing president JP Nadda, 65, months ahead of key state elections, including in West Bengal, a state the BJP has never won but is strongly targeting.
A five-time lawmaker from the eastern state of Bihar, Nabin was elected unopposed as the BJP’s 12th president after Modi and other leaders proposed him. Hundreds of party workers watched at BJP headquarters in New Delhi as Nabin, with his forehead smeared in vermillion and shoulders wrapped in a scarf bearing the party symbol, took the oath of office before Modi and four past presidents.
नई दिल्ली के भाजपा मुख्यालय में पार्टी के सबसे युवा अध्यक्ष के रूप में नितिन नबीन जी के कार्यभार संभालने के अवसर पर कार्यकर्ताओं के जोश और उत्साह ने नई ऊर्जा से भर दिया। @BJP4India @NitinNabin pic.twitter.com/ZQ1XyAdLpm
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“When it comes to the party, I am a worker and he is my boss,” Modi, 75, said, pointing to Nabin, who will serve a three-year term.
In his speech, Nabin praised Modi as a generational leader and urged young people to take an active part in politics. More than 40% of India’s one billion voters are aged between 18 and 39, according to Election Commission data and analysts.
भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष का कार्यभार संभालने पर नितिन नबीन जी को बहुत-बहुत बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं। वे इस अहम पद पर पहुंचने वाले पार्टी के सबसे युवा नेता हैं। अपने अथक परिश्रम और समर्पण भाव से संगठन के दायित्वों को पूरी जिम्मेदारी के साथ निभाते हुए उन्होंने यहां तक का सफर तय किया… pic.twitter.com/TVrJPmIw0z
The BJP suffered a shock setback in the 2024 general election, as Modi lost his parliamentary majority after 10 years in power and had to rely on regional allies to form a government. Since then, the party has regained ground, winning key state and civic body elections. BJP and its allies now govern 19 of India’s 28 states.