JP Nadda to be BJP President until 2024 but who's the longest serving BJP chief?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a press conference at NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi, revealed that JP Nadda's tenure as BJP President has been extended till June 2024. The announcement comes ahead of the Assembly polls which will be conducted in nine states before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Shah acknowledged and lauded the efforts of Nadda and other BJP workers they put in during the COVID-19 pandemic and helping those who had no support. "Nadda Ji, in those tough times, involved the organisation in serving the people with a vibrancy", Shah said, adding that BJP, under the leadership of Nadda showed how a political party can be of service to the people during a humanitarian crisis.

"Under his presidency, we had the highest strike rate in Bihar, we were back in Maharashtra, we also formed a government in Haryana. Besides this, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Assam, Gujarat; BJP had huge success in all of these places ", the Home Minister said. 

Who is the longest serving BJP President?

BJP starlwart LK Advani has served as the President of the saffron party for the longest period (about a decade) since its inception in 1980. The 95-year-old was appointed as the BJP President on three occassions, first in 1986. His first tenure lasted till 1990 and he again took over as the President in 1993, until 1998. BJP members elected him to the position for the third time in 2004 for another year till 2005.

Several other senior leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee have served as BJP chiefs as well. While Rajnath Singh served as the President from 2005-2009 and again from 2013-2014, Vajpayee's tenure lasted from 1980-1986. As for Nadda, he took over the position of National President in January 2020 from Amit Shah, who led the BJP from 2014 to 2020.