'Politics Is Not A 100-Meter Race': Nitin Nabin Takes Charge As BJP's Youngest Chief Ahead Of Key State Polls

Last Updated:January 20, 2026, 13:19 IST

At 45, Nitin Nabin is the youngest leader to be elected as the BJP national head and is the 12th president of the party.

Nitin Nabin takes charge as new BJP president. (Image: PTI)

Nitin Nabin on Tuesday formally took charge as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), becoming the youngest to lead the party. The 45-year-old succeeded JP Nadda.

“Today’s moment is a moment of resolve for me. Today, I am not just assuming a position. I am accepting the ideology, traditions, and the responsibility of a nationalist movement of this party, and on this occasion, I also pay my respects to all my senior colleagues," the newly-elected BJP president Nitin Nabin said, adding, “Today, 140 crore Indians are connecting themselves with the dream of a developed India and are working to take the country forward. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister for this."

“Politics is not a 100-meter race," said Nabin. “In the next few months, elections are about to be held in Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry, and the demographics of these states are being widely discussed. The changing demographics are altering the situation there, and this presents a challenge for us. However, we are completely confident that the BJP workers, through their struggle and hard work, will lead the BJP to success in all five states," he added.

Senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outgoing BJP president JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and several union ministers, attended the event as Nabin took charge as the party’s new national president.

Nabin’s election came more than a month after he was declared the working president of the BJP. His appointment to the top position is being seen as a signal of the party’s emphasis on organisational strength ahead of key state polls, including in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh.

Who Is Nitin Nabin?

Nitin Nabin was named as the BJP national president, with no other candidates in the fray. His candidature was backed by Prime Minister Modi.

He is the son of the late senior BJP leader and four-time Bihar Assembly legislator Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha. He entered politics in 2006 following his father’s death, reportedly after he won a by-election from Patna West.

He was holding the road construction and urban development portfolios in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government at the time. He later resigned from the state government.

At 45, Nitin Nabin is the youngest leader to be elected as the BJP national head and is the 12th president of the party.

Who Backed Nabin’s Candidature?

Nitin Nabin was elected the BJP national president on Monday after 37 sets of nomination papers backing his candidature were submitted to K Laxman, the Returning Officer for the election.

PM Modi, Union Ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav, Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Puri, outgoing president JP Nadda, were among the leaders who backed Nabin’s nomination.

News politics 'Politics Is Not A 100-Meter Race': Nitin Nabin Takes Charge As BJP's Youngest Chief Ahead Of Key State Polls

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