Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday himself made it clear that Nitin Nabin has been appointed working president of the BJP, the world’s largest political party. Describing him as a humble leader with a strong grassroots connect, Modi’s remarks underlined the thinking behind the decision.

When Arun Singh announced Nabin’s appointment on Sunday, several senior leaders whose names had been doing the rounds for the post — including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupender Yadav — were taken by surprise. In Bhopal, security at Chouhan’s residence was even stepped up in anticipation of an announcement.

On Sunday afternoon, around 3 pm, Nabin received a call from New Delhi informing him of his new assignment. At the time, he was felicitating party workers in his constituency, Bankipore.

However, some clarity had begun to emerge the previous night. Late on Saturday, I received a phone call from Vijay Kumar Sharma, a senior BJP leader from Raipur. His comment was revealing: “So Patna will continue to call the shots, will it?”

The remark carried an obvious reference. Jagat Prakash Nadda, like Nitin Nabin, was appointed working president in 2019. Nadda too was born in Patna and completed his schooling and college education there. Nitin Nabin was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), following in the footsteps of his father, the late Naval Kishore Sinha.

Nabin’s father played an active role in the Ayodhya movement and was arrested on December 7, 1992, at Phulwarisharif railway station on the outskirts of Patna, while transporting fragments of the disputed structure.

Nitin Nabin is the first leader from Bihar to be appointed working president at the national level, and also the first from the Kayastha community to reach this position. Another prominent Kayastha leader from Bihar is Ravi Shankar Prasad, who represents Patna Sahib in the Lok Sabha. Nabin’s elevation is expected to have a bearing on Kayastha voters in future elections.

Known for his personal religiosity, Nitin Nabin visits the ancient Hanuman temple near Patna Junction every Tuesday. Just a week ago, he performed special prayers at the Baglamukhi Devi temple in Datia, Madhya Pradesh.