Amit Shah was an unlikely choice for the party president. A quintessential organisation man, Amit started as a RSS man and went on to become the official number 2 in the BJP. Shah is the chief architect of the era of the BJP’s resurgence as the most dominant political force in India. His friends love him, his followers respect him and his foes fear him. But he has never let the admirations and criticisms get into his head and has let the numbers do the talking. If UP LS 2014 campaign marked his arrival in national politics, LS 2019 has established his credentials as the invincible armada of Indian politics and hence the choice of his successor must be a very tough call for the party. As per the rules of the party, Amit Shah cannot continue as the president and it became all very last evening when Amit Shah took oath of office and secrecy as a cabinet minister. He is likely to get either the finance or the home portfolio. But one man who was missing in yesterday’s August gathering was Jagat Prakash Nadda, the health minister in Modi 1.0 cabinet.
Speculations about JP Nadda taking over as the party president started as soon as it was clear that Amit Shah is going to step down. It was with JP Nadda heading the health ministry that PM Modi was able to launch the biggest health insurance scheme in the world and possibly the most revolutionary reform in India’s history. An organization man, JP Nadda is a quiet backroom planner He is good with strategizing and his seniority commands respect from one and all in the BJP. JP Nadda was the election convener for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and under his watch, the party was not only successful in withstanding the formidable Mahagathbandhan of Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, it was able to defeat them comprehensively. Nadda is a member of the upper house of the parliament from the state of Himachal Pradesh. But what’s interesting is that Nadda has been the Parliamentary Board Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party since May 2010 and the president of the youth wing of the party. JP Nadda has also served as a minister in Himachal Pradesh government and various organizational positions in ABVP. Given his decades of experience within the organization, JP Nadda surely becomes the top choice of the post of the BJP’s national president.
JP Nadda, known for his astute organisational skills and a natural talent for candidate selection, was tipped to become the president of the BJP back in 2014 itself as he was set to replace the then president Rajnath Singh, whom the party wanted to bring into the cabinet, however Amit Shah was chosen over him.
So, looks like the stage is set for the quiet unassuming man from Himachal Pradesh. Although there are no confirmations about it, it is very safe to assume that JP Nadda is all set to be the next BJP president.