Young leader, non-OBC face: In picking Nitin Nabin, BJP signals shift in choice of leaders

Nitin Nabin

The BJP has appointed Nitin Nabin, a five-time MLA and Bihar cabinet minister, as its new national working president.

The choice for the party's top post surprised many as the BJP has been known for naming dark horses for key positions. Nabin (45) is the youngest to hold the post of working president. If elected, he will also become the youngest BJP president as well as the first from Bihar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also showered praise on Nabin. "He is a young and industrious leader with rich organisational experience and has an impressive record as MLA as well as Minister in Bihar for multiple terms… I am confident that his energy and dedication will strengthen our party in the times to come," the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

BJP president J P Nadda described Nabin as "a dynamic leader from the sacred land of knowledge and culture, Bihar". Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Nabin possesses extensive experience of working among the people and his elevation is an honour for every young BJP worker who toils day and night.

Five-term MLA Nabin was thrust into electoral politics after his MLA father Nabin Kishor Sinha, a seasoned organisational leader, died unexpectedly in 2006. Hailing from Patna, Nabin’s rise in BJP has been steady as he won successive polls, handled key ministerial portfolios and discharged organisational work assigned to him in different parts of the country.

Nabin is also the youngest amongst all the presidents of other national parties, namely Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP (Sharad Pawar), National Conference, TMC, BSP and DMK.

Following the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP appointed relatively younger and first-time Chief Ministers in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. It chose leaders with administrative potential and long political runways over more senior contenders.

The decisions were widely seen as an attempt to invest in governance faces who could shape state politics over the next decade. From state units to parliamentary leadership, the BJP has repeatedly signalled that adaptability matters as much as seniority.

Senior BJP leader and Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a “bold initiative” by the leadership to appoint a “time-tested worker as (working) president”. “It signifies the generational change in the party and a great appreciation for the potential for a humble worker to reach the top. He is also an amiable leader,” Prasad told The Indian Express.

For months, the focus has been on seasoned OBC leaders, including Dharmendra Pradhan, as the choice for the BJP chief’s post. However, Nabin, an upper caste Kayastha, a community which constitutes barely 0.6% of Bihar's population, appeared to be the party's choice.

After giving the maximum number of tickets and allocating ministries to those belonging to the OBC, particularly non-Yadav castes, the BJP may want to strike a caste balance in the state where the NDA emerged voctorious.