Jagat Prakash Nadda’s elevation comes amid a relatively difficult time for the BJP and speculations that the event was “pre-poned” to divert the blame of a “possible below-par performance” of the party in forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections from former president and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Though, according to senior leaders, Nadda’s appointment was as per the well-established format of the organisation. The BJP’s constitution stipulates the national president can be elected after half of the state and UT units have completed their organisational election exercise and that is how it happened, they say, dismissing the speculations as “grapevine floated by frustrated rivals”.

Though now it remains to be seen how Nadda functions as an independent power centre in the party set-up especially when tidings have not been so favourable in some States. Though he has played the efficient behind-the-scene strategist in the 2014 as well as in the 2019 General Election and also the various Assembly elections during the period, this would be the first time Nadda would be held “directly responsible and accountable”. “It would be his win and his loss. The fact is so far he has not been blamed for any unfavourable result,” say observers.