What Nitin Nabin said in first speech as BJP president: 4 big takeaways

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

• Nitin Nabin becomes BJP's youngest and 12th national president
• Nabin pledges to uphold BJP ideology and focus on upcoming state elections
• He criticizes opposition over cultural issues and praises PM Modi's leadership

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Five-time Bihar MLA Nitin Nabin took charge as the BJP president in New Delhi during a grand ceremony attended by the pantheon of the saffron party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and outgoing party chief JP Nadda.

Nabin (45) is the youngest leader to be elected as the BJP national head and is the 12th president of the party. PM Modi homed in on this point when he described Nabin as a "millennial" who belongs to a generation which has witnessed a great deal of change in India.

In his maiden address as the BJP chief, Nabin expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Narendra Modi and lauded the Prime Minister's continuous and tireless service for the nation. He also promised to uphold the ideology of his party and spoke about the immediate challenge before him: the upcoming elections.

Here are the new BJP chief’s big messages from his first address:

Sounding the poll bugle

Right off the bad, Nabin made his priorities clear after expressing concerns over the changing demographics in the poll-bound states of Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala as well as the Union Territory of Puducherry.

““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 said.

Deepam row

Nabin also spoke about the Deepam row which gripped the state of Tamil Nadu recently and criticised the opposition parties for allegedly trying to interfere with cultural and religious traditions.

“Recently we saw how opposition parties tried to stop the sacred Karthigai Deepam festival on a hill in Tamil Nadu. This isn't the only instance; the opposition has conspired to stop other things as well. We recently saw how an attempt was made to impeach a judge. Today, when we talk about Somnath and try to celebrate this festival of pride, the people in the opposition parties feel uneasy. We believe that it is necessary to confront the forces that try to stop such traditions. We must ensure that those who deny the existence of Ram Setu and oppose the Karthigai Deepam festival have no place in Indian politics,” he said.

Pledge to uphold ideology

Nabin said that he is not just taking up a position but embracing the ideology, traditions and the responsibility of a nationalist movement of the party.

"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 ... 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," he said.

Nabin said that the support of party workers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi allowed an ordinary worker like him to reach the top position.

Praises for PM

Nabin also recounted the first time he got the opportunity to be part of a programme with PM Modi in Gujarat's Anand. "I was the National General Secretary at the time and I saw you listening to each and every person during the Sadbhavana Mission programme. And after the programme ended, when you spoke to us in your green room, you explained with such emotion why so many people from Gujarat had come." Reflecting on the moment, Nabin said that he understood that a “person becomes great when they connect themselves with the emotions of the people”.

The new BJP chief also recalled the time when PM Modi abolished Article 370, "the atmosphere of Kashmir changed, and today the tricolour flies proudly at every corner of Kashmir". "We work with the thought of nation first, party next, and self last,” he said.