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BJP extends Nadda’s term as party chief till June 2024
The tenure of JP Nadda as president of the BJP was extended till June 2024 at the party’s national executive committee meeting on Tuesday, signalling that the ruling party will fight the next general election under the leadership of the 62-year-old leader.
The tenure of JP Nadda as president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was extended till June 2024 at the party’s national executive committee meeting on Tuesday, signalling that the ruling party will fight the next general election under the leadership of the 62-year-old leader.
Announcing the decision, home minister Amit Shah said the proposal to extend his term was moved by defence minister Rajnath Singh, and endorsed by the executive panel unanimously.
“Among all the political parties in the country, the BJP is the one that is most democratically run. We hold elections as per the constitution of the party from the booth level to the presidential post,” he said.
In a letter to the party workers released later, Nadda said he accepted the responsibility with a ”deep sense of honour and gratitude”.
“It is only possible in the BJP that a simple karyakarta (worker) like me from a small state like Himachal Pradesh, who started his political journey as a student activist, could steadily rise up the ranks, shouldering several responsibilities all the way to becoming the national president of the world’s largest political party. It is as much a privilege and honour, as it is humbling to be entrusted with the responsibility of steering a movement, which has seen many stalwarts leading it,” he said.
Shah expressed confidence that the BJP will achieve a bigger win than the last general elections, when it won 303 seats in the Lok Sabha. The party is required to carry out a membership drive ahead of organisational polls but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the drive was affected and elections at the booth level could not be held. Therefore, the elections for the president’s post was also affected, the home minister said.
The BJP’s decision to extend Nadda’s term, ratified by the highest decision-making body, the parliamentary board, will now be conveyed to the election commission.
Nadda was appointed BJP chief on January 20,2020. He took over the position after Shah was appointed as home minister in 2019. He was first appointed as the party’s working president and then given a full three-year term.
Shah said Nadda led the organisation to carry out relief work with vibrancy, and it was under his leadership that the party performed well in states such as Bihar and Maharashtra, and made gains in states such as West Bengal. “The party played a key role in relief measures during the pandemic under Nadda’s leadership,” Shah said.
“During his tenure polls, the party won 73 bypolls...Work to strengthen the party across 1.30 lakh booths was undertaken. Seva hi sangathan and seva pakhwada were carried out,” he added.
The BJP was confident of winning the 2024 elections with a bigger majority, shah said.
“I am confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nadda-ji, the BJP will win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by an even bigger majority,” he said. “Modi-ji will return to lead the country as the Prime Minister.”
In his letter, Nadda sought the cooperation of his party colleagues and said India stood on the threshold of a historic age. “Our perseverance and hard work will be driven and oriented by a strong and unshakable resolve to see India emerge as Vishwa Guru (world leader)…Let us pour all our energies and prepare ourselves to see India usher in her finest hour,” he said.
