Nitin Nabin: BJP gets its new president finally, a low-profile leader as expected

In a move that has been anticipated for months, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has finally named its new national president, succeeding JP Nadda, whose term concludes amid the party's preparations for future electoral battles. On 14 December, the BJP announced Nitin Nabin, a seasoned legislator from Bihar, as the new chief.

This decision is on the lines of the known dynamics within the party under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the emphasis appears to be on loyalty and execution rather than individual charisma.

Nitin Nabin, who?

Nitin Nabin, born on 23 May 1980 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, hails from a Kayastha family. His father, the late Naveen Kishor Prasad Sinha, and mother, the late Meera Sinha, provided the foundation for his early life. Married to Deepmala Srivastava, he is a father to two minor children—a son and a daughter.

In the caste-driven politics of India, parties have been known to ‘safely’ pick a member of the Kayastha community when the competition or rivalry between castes is stiff, and choosing any of the dominant caste members might annoy the other contenders.

With an educational background up to intermediate level, Nabin's entry into politics was not through academic prestige but through grassroots engagement. His current address in Patna, at 3 Taylor Road, and contact details reflect his deep roots in Bihar's political landscape.

The announcement comes at a time when the BJP is consolidating its position after recent state assembly elections, including Nabin's own fifth consecutive victory in the Bankipur constituency in 2025, where he won by a margin of 52,000 votes. This consistent electoral success underscores his appeal in Bihar, a state crucial to the party's national strategy.

Yet, Nabin's profile remains relatively low on the national stage, which fits the narrative that in Modi's BJP, there is limited space for leaders who might overshadow the prime minister. Critics have long suggested that Modi's suspected insecurity about potential rivals ensures that key positions are filled by figures who function more as implementers of the central leadership's vision rather than independent power centres.

Nabin's political journey began in 2006 when he was elected as an MLA from Patna West, securing a victory margin of 65,167 votes. He repeated this feat in 2010 from the Bankipur assembly seat, again with the same impressive margin, and continued his winning streak in 2015, 2020, and most recently in 2025. His ministerial roles in the Bihar government have further solidified his credentials. From 2021, he served as the minister for the road construction department, and by 2024, he took on responsibilities for urban development and housing, as well as the law department.

This year, Nabin returned to oversee road construction alongside urban development and housing. These positions have allowed him to contribute to infrastructure projects that align with the BJP's development agenda, such as improving connectivity and urban amenities in Bihar.

Beyond his legislative roles, Nabin has demonstrated strong organisational skills within the party. Starting in 2008 as a national executive committee member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the party's youth wing, he progressed to co-incharge and then national general secretary from 2010 to 2013, extending that tenure until 2016. From 2016 to 2019, he led the BJYM as its Bihar state president, focusing on mobilising young voters and strengthening the party's base.

Nabin’s efforts extended to other states: In 2019, he served as the BJP election in-charge for Sikkim's Lok Sabha and assembly polls, where the party achieved its first breakthroughs with two MLAs elected and the lotus symbol blooming in the state for the first time. He continued as the organisational in-charge for Sikkim from June 2019.

More recently, Nabin's responsibilities expanded to Chhattisgarh, where he acted as co-in-charge from 2021 to 2024, followed by his role as the Lok Sabha election in-charge in 2024. Since July 2024, he has been the full organisational in-charge for the state, contributing to the party's strategies in central India. These assignments highlight his reliability in handling election logistics and party building, qualities that likely made him a safe choice for the national presidency.

No RSS link

The most surprising fact in Nitin Nabin's curriculum vitae is that he does not have a direct RSS background. While his family had ties to the Jan Sangh, the predecessor to the BJP, a senior party leader has explicitly stated that Nabin lacks an RSS connection.

This is notable in BJP politics, where many top leaders, including past presidents, often rise through RSS ranks as swayamsevaks to ensure ideological alignment. Nabin's ascent appears rooted more in the BJP's youth wing and electoral success in Bihar rather than the Sangh Parivar's grassroots training.

Key contributions

Nabin's career is also marked by notable programmes and initiatives that reflect his commitment to nationalism and community engagement. In 2011, he participated in the national unity yatra on 26 January and the parliament gherao, actions that symbolised the BJP's opposition stance at the time. He led the shaheed shraddhanjali yatra from Guwahati to Tawang, paying homage to the martyrs of the 1962 Indo-China war, an event that resonated with patriotic sentiments.

But Nabin has been appointed as the “working” president, which implies that the final decision for the post is still pending. For a year, political observers have speculated that the position would go to an RSS-affiliated BJP politician from a state that the BJP does not yet rule: West Bengal or one of the southern states other than Karnataka.

During his tenure as BJYM Bihar president, Nabin organised extensive programmes to unite and empower youth, fostering a new generation of party workers. In Sikkim, his leadership was instrumental in the BJP's maiden electoral successes, breaking into a region traditionally dominated by regional parties.

Socially, for the past 14 years, Nabin has been involved in organising grand Ram Navami processions in Patna through the Shri Shri Ramnavami Shobha Yatra Abhinandan Samiti, promoting cultural and religious harmony. Additionally, the Naveen Sinha Pratibha Samman Samaroh, named after his father, honours individuals excelling in various fields, recognising talent and encouraging excellence.

On the international front, Nabin gained some exposure through a 15-day visit to the United States in 2013 under the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), which likely broadened his perspectives on global politics and governance.

The selection of Nitin Nabin as president signals continuity in the BJP's modus operandi. As a rubber-stamp figure, he is expected to execute the will of the party's tallest leader, Narendra Modi, without challenging the established hierarchy. This approach has been practical in maintaining discipline and unity, but it raises questions about the party's ability to nurture diverse leadership. In an era where the BJP dominates Indian politics, Nabin's low-key style may help in seamless coordination with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other affiliates.

However, challenges lie ahead. With upcoming elections in various states and the need to counter opposition narratives, Nabin's experience in Bihar and other regions will be tested on a national scale. His focus on youth mobilisation could prove vital in engaging younger voters, a demographic increasingly influential in Indian elections.

As the BJP embarks on this new chapter, Nitin Nabin's ascent from a regional player to the national helm exemplifies the party's preference for steadfast operators over flamboyant personalities. Whether this strategy sustains the BJP's dominance remains to be seen, but for now, the long wait for Nadda's successor is over, and Nabin steps into the spotlight—or perhaps, deliberately, just out of its full glare.