Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Jagat Prakash Nadda was appointed as the party's working president during a parliamentary board meeting on Monday, 17 June.
This was announced by former BJP president and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after the party's highest decision-making body's meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to congratulate Nadda on his appointment:
Shah, meanwhile, will continue as the party’s chief.
Speaking on Nadda’s appointment, Rajnath wrote: “The BJP has won several elections under the leadership of party president Amit Shah. After the Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed him the Home Minister, Amit ji himself had said that the responsibility of party president should be given to someone else.”
BJP’s First Working President
This is the first time the party has appointed a working president.
Shah's tenure ends in December 2019 and he may not like to get an extension as the party has principal of 'one man, one post', sources cited by PTI said.
Nadda, currently BJP's parliamentary board secretary, will continue as working president till BJP's organisational election are over amid indications that he may succeed Shah.
Nadda, 58, was given responsibility of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP bagged 62 out of the 80 seats in the politically-critical state.
A three-time MLA, Nadda represents Himachal Pradesh in Rajya Sabha and enjoys the confidence of the party's top brass. He was the health minister in the Modi government in the previous term.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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