Published 17:24 IST, January 20th 2020
Mallika Nanda overjoyed as husband JP Nadda becomes BJP national president
JP Nadda's wife said that it's a big responsibility and that the family is very happy as he becomes the party president. Nadda takes over from Amit Shah
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Jagat Prakash Nadda was elected as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday at the party headquarters in New Delhi. His wife, Mallika Nadda, said that it was a big responsibility and that everyone is extremely happy.
Nadda takes over
Speaking to news agency ANI, she said, "It is a very important day for all of us. Everyone, including family, Bilaspur and our state of Himachal Pradesh is extremely happy today as it is about a big responsibility being given to a person from such a small state." Nadda was elected unopposed by the members. He was the only candidate standing for the elections after his name was suggested by the top leaders of the party.
Nadda takes over from Amit Shah, who is now the Home Minister of India. Outgoing president Amit Shah and other senior leaders congratulated the Himachal Pradesh leader, who had been serving as the party's working president. He will serve for three years at the helm. Nadda's name was proposed by ex-chiefs and parliamentary board members Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari.
"Amit Shah's stint as BJP chief was unparalleled. He took the party to new heights," said Union Minister Rajnath Singh, a past BJP president. PM Modi and Shah had met senior leaders of the BJP, Chief Ministers and former Chief Ministers in a series of meetings at the party office on Sunday, to formally apprise them of Nadda's candidature.
A veteran leader, Nadda is an organizational workhorse with strong RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - the BJP's ideological mentor) roots. He was MLA in Himachal Pradesh for three terms before he moved to the central government as a cabinet minister from 1998 to 2003. Amit Shah had written to the Prime Minister in June 2019 requesting that his job of party chief be given to someone else as he had to focus completely on the responsibilities of being Home Minister. Nadda will set his eyes on the upcoming Assembly polls in Delhi and will look to deliver in Delhi. After Delhi, it will be Bihar, where the party is in power with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United).
17:24 IST, January 20th 2020