New Delhi: With Nitin Nabin taking the office of the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, January 20, many have been left to wonder about his journey from a BJP worker to the top post.
Succeeding JP Nadda, Nabin has officially become the youngest national president and is beginning a new chapter for the party, as it seeks to tighten its grip on politics in the country.
Bihar as the stepping stone
Born in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Nabin entered politics soon after his father, a veteran BJP leader and former MLA Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha, died in 2006. In Bihar‘s 2006 by-elections, Nabin collected his first win from Patna West and became an MLA.
Initially, he began his political trajectory through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and later rose through the ranks of the BJP’s youth wing.
He has since continued to be unrivalled as a five-term MLA from Bankipur in Patna, known to be one of the BJP’s strongest urban constituencies.
He was consecutively re-elected in 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025, where he defeated Rekha Kumari from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) with 98,299 votes.
He has had multiple roles in the Bihar government and currently serves as the Public Works Department Minister in the state. His tenure included initiatives in road infrastructure, urban housing and welfare measures, such as support for journalists and incentives for Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Mamta workers.
Unopposed win, backed by Modi himself
He was elected unopposed as the BJP’s national president without a contest, as he was the only candidate after the nomination process. No other contenders remained after the withdrawal period. His candidature was backed by party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and outgoing president Nadda, which helped consolidate internal support.
Nabin became the 12th president of the BJP, which was founded in 1980, the same year he was born. His political journey has been significantly influenced by Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s leadership style.
Responding to Nabin’s win, PM Modi declared that the young leader will be his boss in all party-related matters. Modi described the 45-year-old Nabin as a “millennial” with youthful energy and vast experience in the organisation, which will prove to be of immense help for the party.
The new BJP chief belongs to an era in which people heard the news on the radio in childhood and are now well-versed in using artificial intelligence, Modi said.
“Nitin ji has both youthful energy and a great deal of experience,” he said.
The low-profile and unassuming Nabin had resigned as the Minister for Law and Justice, Urban Development and Housing in the Bihar government after he was appointed working president of the BJP on December 14.
His win was widely celebrated by party members, with R Laxman, returning officer of the BJP, saying, “This election shows that in the BJP, leadership rises from hard work and dedication, not from dynastic privilege.”
Role in inter-state BJP win
His elevation comes as the party discusses its organisational strategy and coordination with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In recent months, the former Bihar MLA has travelled across states to meet party workers and stress the importance of sustained grassroots work. His organisational experience was further reinforced by his role as BJP co-incharge for the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, where the party returned to power.
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