TNI Bureau: Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including most chief ministers and state unit heads, are expected to gather at the party headquarters as the formal process to elect the party’s new national president begins.

BJP national working president Nitin Nabin is scheduled to file his nomination for the top organisational post and is widely expected to be elected unopposed. Party sources said he has the backing of the central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, paving the way for him to succeed outgoing president J P Nadda. If elected, Nabin will become the BJP’s 12th national president.

According to the election schedule announced by national returning officer K Laxman, nominations can be filed between 2 pm and 4 pm on January 19. Scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawals will follow the same day. The new party chief is expected to be announced on January 20. Voting will take place only if required.

A five-time MLA from Bihar, Nabin was appointed BJP’s national working president in December 2025. The election is conducted through an electoral college comprising representatives from the party’s national and state councils.

Under the BJP constitution, a candidate must be proposed by at least 20 members of a state electoral college and must have completed four terms as an active party member, with a minimum of 15 years in the organisation. Proposals must come from at least five states where national council elections have been completed.

With no challenger in the fray so far, Nabin is set to take charge, marking a smooth leadership transition at the top of the party.