J.P. Nadda’s BJP presidency crossed five years, marking longest single-term extension in party’s history.
NEW DELHI: The tenure of Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, who continues to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its National President—a role he has held since January 2020—has become the longest in terms of extension for a BJP president in a single term. His stint now stretches beyond five years due to successive extensions.
Initially elected for a three-year term (as stipulated by the party
However, as of today, Nadda remains in office, marking what is now the longest extension for a BJP president in a single term—surpassing even notable predecessors like Lal Krishna Advani and his cabinet colleague, Home Minister Amit Shah.
The decision to extend Nadda’s tenure in January 2023 was driven by organisational delays attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the BJP’s membership drives and internal elections.
This initial extension added 17 months to his term, bringing his total tenure to 4 years and 5 months by June 2024. Yet with no new president appointed so far, Nadda’s leadership has now surpassed 5 years and 2 months since his initial election in January 2020—totalling 27 months beyond the original end of his term in January 2023.
This prolonged tenure places Nadda among the BJP’s longest-serving presidents in a single stint.
The delay in naming Nadda’s successor stems from the BJP’s constitutional requirement to complete organisational elections in at least 50% of its state units—18 out of 36 states and Union Territories—before electing a national president. The process, which began on August 1, 2024, was expected to conclude by December 2024. However, it is still ongoing.
Party observers believe that the name of a new president might emerge before or during the National Council meeting slated for April 18–20 in Bengaluru.
Nadda’s dual role as Union Health Minister since June 2024 has led to a rare breach of the BJP’s “one person, one post” principle.