New Delhi:
BJP's Maharashtra unit chief Nitin Gadkari has been appointed the party's youngest-ever president. On Saturday, the BJP's parliamentary board elected Gadkari. He will officially take over on December 24.
Outgoing president Rajnath Singh made the announcement during a press briefing at the BJP Headquarters in New Delhi. "There is consensus in the BJP Parliamentary Board on the name of Gadkari," Rajnath said.
In his acceptance speech, Gadkari said: "I am honoured to have been given a position that has been held by Advani and Vajpayee." (
Read: Advani. the Iron Man who found a gentler side)
"I have been given the opportunity to work with my idols. This is a huge responsibility and I am looking forward to giving my best," he added.
This is the second big step in the party's change of guard. On Friday, Sushma Swaraj took over from L K Advani as leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. (
Read: Advani steps down, BJP's new guard takes over)
Political analysts describe this as a graceful exit for the veteran leader. Advani is expected to play mentor now to the party's Gen Next, which took over its new role on Friday. (
Read: Sushma Swaraj, BJP's gen-next leader)
On record, the RSS gave its blessing to Nitin Gadkari as the new BJP President months ago. But while his approval ratings may be high among the old guard, Gadkari's website makes it clear that he positions himself as a moderniser. It has little strident ideology. Instead, the focus is on his accomplishments, like giving Nagpur a new face when he was the city's Guardian Minister, or adding flyovers during his stint as Public Works Minister. Pride of place goes to his flagship project, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. (
Watch: I want to work for the poor, says Gadkari)
It could be this focus on modernization, combined with his Nagpur origins, which clinched the promotion for Gadkari. But the challenges before him now are considerable.
At a time when the BJP needs a consensus-builder (internal dissent since the general elections has damaged its functioning and reputation), Gadkari's reputation as a faction-leader could hit where it hurts.
He has been locked in a bitter and long-running war with Gopinath Munde, the BJP's other Maharashtra stalwart. Many blame this divide for the party's decline in the state. Munde is a powerful OBC leader; Gadkari, a Brahmin, has been considered locally as a political lightweight with a negligible pan-Maharashtra presence. His entry into politics has been through the Legislative Council, where he has served for 18 years.
But he is also a fighter. Many believe he used his proximity to the RSS to survive the Munde-Pramod Mahajan stronghold over the state BJP. That same fond equation with the RSS will come in handy in Delhi, as he confronts ambitious colleagues, each clamouring to be the new face of the party.