As JP Nadda succeeds him as BJP national president, Amit Shah relinquishes his old charge

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has congratulated new BJP President JP Nadda who was elected unopposed on Monday. Nadda took over as the party chief, a responsibility he shared with Amit Shah for nearly a year, though in the capacity of 'working president'.

Taking to Twitter, Shah wrote,  "Heartiest congratulations to JP Nadda ji on being elected the national president of the BJP. I firmly believe that under the guidance of PM Modi and your leadership, BJP will continue to be stronger and more comprehensive." 

'BJP will reach new heights'

In another tweet, Shah said, "The party will benefit from JP Nadda's experience and organisational skills and it will also set new records.

As his tenure as the party chief came to an end, Amit Shah has shared a note of thanks towards the party workers and wellwishers who stood by him. In a tweet in Hindi, Shah said, "I consider myself fortunate to have the privilege of working as president for five years in this great organization. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the crores of party workers and wellwishers who stood with me like a rock every moment. Amit Shah also thanked PM Modi and other senior leaders of the party for having faith in him. 

Ravi Shankar Prasad praised Nadda

Senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who is the in charge of the organisational election process, made the announcement at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Nadda will serve for three years at the helm. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke of Nadda's rise through the ranks and said he has always been an "inspiring" worker. Prasad noted that the leader from Himachal Pradesh worked his way up as an "excellent" organisational leader, be it in the RSS students' wing ABVP or the BJP youth wing, and was also a successful health minister in the first Modi government. 

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A veteran leader, JP Nadda is an old 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. In June 2019, Nadda's political stock soared as he was appointed as the working president of the BJP while Amit Shah remained BJP chief.

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