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RSS installs Gadkari as BJP chief

NEW DELHI — BJP’s Maharashtra unit chief Nitin Gadkari was on Saturday appointed the BJP president at a meeting of the Parliamentary Board of the party, marking a generational change in its hierarchy.

Gadkari was elected the party chief at the meeting attended by senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and others.

The 52-year-old leader succeeds Rajnath Singh, who had assumed charge in December 2005, to become the youngest president of the party and the first one from Maharashtra. Gadkari is known for the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway in Maharashtra.

He hails from Nagpur where the RSS headquarters is also located and is said to be the RSS’ choice for the job.

Gadkari’s appointment rung the curtain down on the Atal-Advani era. He happens to be the ninth party president since 1980 when the BJP came into being and Atal Bihari Vajpayee became its first president. Only Advani enjoyed three terms as the party chief from 1986 to 1990, from 1992 to 1998 and 2004 to 2005.

The party was effecting a generational change in its hierarchy. Advani on Friday stepped down as the Leader of Opposition paving way for Sushma Swaraj to don the mantle. He was chosen at a meeting of party MPs to the newly-created post of Chairman of the party’s Parliamentary Board.

(With inputs from Agencies)