Youngest chief among major parties comes from BJP, highlighting leadership contrast

New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) In an era when most major political parties in India are headed by leaders well into their seventies and eighties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has drawn attention for a different reason. Among senior national-level leaders of major political parties, newly appointed BJP National Working President Nitin Nabin, at 45, is the youngest, underlining a visible contrast in leadership age profiles across the political spectrum.

A comparison with other national and regional parties highlights this gap clearly. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is 83 years old, while Nationalist Congress Party-SP (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar is 85.

Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is 70, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) boss and ex-Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati is 69, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is 72. In each of these parties, leadership continues to rest with veterans who have dominated their organisations for decades.

Other leaders older than Nitin Nabin include Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who is 57; National Conference leader and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, aged 55; and Samajwadi Party president and ex-Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, 52.

Against this backdrop, Nitin Nabin’s age places him in a distinct category. For a leader getting appointed for a major national role even before turning 50 symbolises a generational contrast that has increasingly shaped political narratives.

Commenting on the development, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote on X: “BJP vs Congress. BJP has picked a 45-year-old Nitin Nabin as its National Working President. It signals how the BJP puts merit, talent and Yuva Shakti ahead. Recently, we saw how Congress leader from Odisha Mohammad Moquim said in his letter that Kharge ji, who is 83, should be changed as he has no connect with the youth.”

Political observers note that the BJP’s leadership structure reflects a conscious emphasis on succession planning and long-term organisational continuity. Over the past decade, the party has consistently projected leaders who are expected to remain politically active for years rather than relying solely on legacy figures nearing the twilight of their careers.

This approach has been particularly noticed in the BJP’s handling of leadership transitions after electoral victories.

Following the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP appointed relatively younger and first-time Chief Ministers in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, opting for 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.

According to analysts, the BJP seems to have also placed emphasis on grooming leaders through sustained roles within the party and government, allowing them to accumulate administrative experience early.

From state units to parliamentary leadership, the party has repeatedly signalled that longevity and adaptability matter as much as seniority.

In contrast, many opposition parties continue to be anchored by long-standing figures whose authority remains largely unchallenged internally. While such leaders command deep loyalty and political experience, critics argue that prolonged concentration of power at the top can slow leadership renewal and limit generational transition.

That said, age alone does not define political effectiveness as several senior leaders across parties continue to play decisive roles in governance and strategy.

pgh/uk