New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formally initiated the election process for its next national president, with senior leaders filing nomination papers for Nitin Nabin, the 45-year-old national working president, at the party headquarters here on Monday.

BJP President J.P. Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh submitted the first set of nomination papers to Returning Officer K. Laxman, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and other prominent leaders including Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupender Yadav and Kiren Rijiju.

Additional sets of nominations were subsequently presented by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and leaders from several states, underscoring broad support for Nabin.

The event witnessed the participation of Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand), Nayab Singh Saini (Haryana) and Pramod Sawant (Goa), alongside representatives from Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Jharkhand and other states.

Appointed national working president on December 14, 2025, Nabin is poised to become the BJP’s 12th national president — and potentially its youngest ever — backed strongly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Shah and the party’s senior leadership.

With no rival candidates in the fray, he is widely expected to be elected unopposed by the electoral college comprising members of the national and state councils.

In accordance with the party rules, a candidate must secure joint proposals from at least 20 members of the electoral college from a single state and possess a minimum of 15 years of party membership.

Nominations could be withdrawn between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday, following which the Returning Officer is scheduled to issue a statement at 6.30 p.m.

If uncontested, the formal announcement of the new president will take place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary hailed the development as both a proud moment for the state and a historic milestone for the party.

A five-time MLA from Bihar, Nabin has long been recognised for his organisational acumen. He has served as in-charge for states such as Chhattisgarh and played a pivotal role in forging alliances.

Since assuming charge as working president, he has concentrated on preparations for upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry.

His elevation is widely seen as a move that injects youthful dynamism into the BJP’s leadership while ensuring continuity with its ideological and organisational foundations.

–IANS

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