New Delhi, June 17
Bharatiya Janata Party has elected veteran leader JP Nadda working president, senior party leader Rajnath Singh said on Monday-a decision that puts to rest speculations over who will replace current national president Amit Shah.
Nadda, the former health minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's previous Cabinet, was made working president of the party at the BJP's Parliamentary Board meeting on Monday.
Parliamentary Board is the BJP's highest decision-making body.
Nadda will eventually replace Amit Shah, whose term as BJP president ended earlier this year but was given an extension because of general elections. Shah is now home minister in Narendra Modi's new Cabinet.
The decision was taken because of Shah's busy schedule, sources said.
Soon after Nadda was elected, Rajnath Singh, union defence minister in the new Cabinet, said Shah felt the need to hand over “responsibility of the party to someone else” after he was made home minister.
His tweet read: “The @BJP4India has won several elections under the leadership of party president Shri @AmitShah. After the Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi appointed him the Home Minister, Amitji himself had said that the responsibility of party president should be given to someone else”.
“BJP Parliamentary board met today and it has selected Shri @JPNadda as the working president. He will remain the working president till the BJP's membership drive& org. elections are over. Congratulations & best wishes to Naddaji for shouldering this new responsibility,” his second tweet said.
The decision is significant given that four crucial assembly elections-Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir-will be held later this year.
The development came hours after the 17th Lok Sabha was sworn in.
There are rumours that the board could decide on their Speaker candidate at the meeting. There are also speculations that the party could finalise candidates for six Rajya Sabha seats that is scheduled to be going to polls on July 5 after its previous occupants were elected into the Lower House.
The party could also hold discussions on the forthcoming assembly elections.
