Nadda: Seasoned party man who harmonised organisational functioning with needs of party in power

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) A seasoned organisation man, BJP president J P Nadda is set to lead the party in the all-important 2024 Lok Sabha polls after being given an extension on Tuesday, underlining the confidence he shares with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Low-key and soft-spoken, the 62-year-old leader, who first became BJP president on January 20, 2020, is never known to hit wrong notes in a party which prides itself on its organisational discipline and rigour, more so under the careful watch of Modi.

Nadda also shares warm ties with the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor which has traditionally had a say in the party’s organisational matters.

His extension was widely expected but the decision of the BJP’s top brass, which is known to spring surprises, still highlights the crucial role he has played in harmonising the organisational work with the needs of a party in power without making a false step.

Content in the shadows of Modi and Amit Shah, the BJP president is seen as a determined and quiet worker who does not hanker after media glory or the limelight which has proved to be undoing of many leaders.

Slowly and surely, he has carved a niche for himself with the party winning a number of assembly polls, improving its prospects in states like Telangana and West Bengal and constantly spearheading various public connect exercises to build on its popular support under his stewardship.

Nadda hails from Himachal Pradesh but was born and raised in Bihar where his father was a professor in Patna University.

He joined the ABVP, the RSS’ student wing, there and was active in the anti-Emergency stir headed, his colleagues say.

On his return to his home state, he was elected as student union president of the Himachal University.

He became president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the BJP’s youth wing, in 1991. Incidentally, Shah was also a BJYM office bearer that time.

It was a sign of the trust he always had of the party leadership that he became the leader of the opposition in Himachal Pradesh in 1993 after being elected an MLA for the first time.

When the BJP stormed to power in 1998 in the state, he became a minister. He was a minister again in 2010 when he resigned to become the party’s national general secretary when Nitin Gadkari was its president.

He has long enjoyed warm relations with Modi who was once in charge of the party’s affairs in Himachal Pradesh.

In his speech on the first day of the national executive on Monday, Nadda exhorted party leaders to ensure its victory in all nine state assembly polls slates for this year.

Starting from Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, assembly polls are expected to be held in Karnataka followed by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram in one go and then in Telangana in 2023.

Now in charge till mid-2024, his task is cut out.