After months of speculation, the BJP leadership sprang a surprise by naming Bihar minister Nitin Nabin as the new working president of the party. He is expected to be elected as the BJP national president in January 2026, and his election will be ratified by the national executive in April 2026.
The present incumbent, JP Nadda, too, was named working president in June 2019 when Amit Shah was the BJP chief. He became national president in January 2020. The appointment of Nabin marks a generational shift, as at 45, he will be the youngest to hold the party president’s post.
A five-time MLA, Nabin was given the responsibility of managing the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, which he delivered. A low-key leader whom few in the party outside Bihar know, his appointment follows the typical BJP template of naming to key leadership roles relatively unknown entities who remain beholden to the top leadership.
Nabin’s appointment makes it clear that in the wake of the sweeping Bihar election victory, the Modi-Shah duo is calling the shots again. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP fell short of a majority, the RSS began to assert itself and was unwilling to accept a rubber stamp as the party chief.
Speculation mounted that Modi and Shah were keen on elevating OBC leaders Dharmendra Pradhan or Bhupendra Yadav as the BJP president, but the Sangh fountainhead was averse to their appointment. Nabin seems to be a compromise candidate.
As an upper-caste Kayastha, his elevation signifies the party’s moving away from the prism of caste. He also does not have an RSS background, having honed his political skills in the BYJM. He entered electoral politics after his father, Nabin Kishor Sinha, died in 2006. He has also handled several organisational responsibilities for the party.
Nabin will have to prove his mettle quite soon, given the slew of tough Assembly elections slated for 2026. His biggest challenge will be West Bengal, where the BJP has been unable to make a dent in the last few elections.
Whether he will be allowed to grow into his role remains to be seen, given the overarching influence of Amit Shah in electoral battles. The naming of Nabin as the BJP chief is quite clearly a victory for the Modi-Shah combine.
The appointment of UP minister Pankaj Chaudhary as the president of the state unit is also seen as a shot in the arm for Amit Shah and a snub to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
After months of guessing games, the BJP is finally set to get a new chief. Nadda, whose term ended in 2024, was given an extension in view of the Lok Sabha elections. Another distinction for Nabin is that he will be the first BJP president from Bihar.
