By The Congress on Tuesday launched a sharp political attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the appointment of its new national president, Nitin Nabin, questioning the credibility of what it described as a “pre-scripted” and “stage-managed” internal election. The opposition party argued that the BJP had reduced a supposedly democratic exercise into a mere formality, exposing what it called the ruling party’s double standards on internal democracy.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress media and publicity department chairperson Pawan Khera mocked the BJP leadership for announcing the party chief in advance and then retrofitting an electoral process around that decision. “Where is the election? Why do you even call it an election?” Khera asked. “First you decide the president, then you announce there will be an election, and finally, there is no contest at all. This is not democracy; this is appointment dressed up as an election.”
The remarks came just hours after Nitin Nabin, a five-term MLA from Bihar and one of the youngest leaders to rise rapidly through the BJP’s organisational ranks, was formally declared the party’s national president. At 45, Nabin succeeds Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and becomes the youngest person to head the BJP since its formation in 1980. He was elected unopposed after being the sole candidate to file valid nomination papers.
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Khera seized on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public comment describing Nabin as his “boss” in party matters, using it to lampoon the BJP’s internal hierarchy. Drawing a parallel with reality television, the Congress spokesperson quipped that the ruling party seemed to be “playing Bigg Boss” with leadership roles. “Sometimes Mohan Bhagwat becomes someone’s boss, sometimes Modi becomes someone’s boss. Today, Modi says Nabin is his boss. Tomorrow, who knows?” he said, suggesting that power within the BJP shifts according to convenience rather than institutional norms.
The Congress also used the occasion to revive its broader criticism of electoral institutions, particularly the Election Commission of India. In a sarcastic aside, Khera referenced Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom the Congress has repeatedly accused of overseeing flawed electoral processes as part of its ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) campaign. “Gyanesh Kumar has no role here either,” Khera said mockingly. “He can’t influence anything, he can’t manipulate anything. Maybe he should resign in protest because even internal elections don’t need him.”
While the BJP maintains that its organisational elections follow a structured and constitutionally mandated process, the Congress argued that the absence of any contest exposed a deeper problem. According to Congress leaders, the BJP’s centralised decision-making leaves little room for dissent or alternative leadership, even within its own ranks. “If there was genuine democracy within the BJP, there would be debate, competition, and choice,” a senior Congress leader said off the record. “What we see instead is unanimity enforced from the top.”
Nabin’s elevation had been widely anticipated since December, when he was appointed the BJP’s national working president after an 18-month search for J.P. Nadda’s successor. His appointment was widely interpreted as a signal from the party’s top leadership, including Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, that he was the chosen candidate for the top organisational post. By the time the formal election schedule was announced earlier this month, the outcome appeared inevitable.
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For the BJP, Nabin’s rise represents a generational shift and a bid to energise the party ahead of a crucial electoral cycle that includes multiple Assembly elections and preparations for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. Party leaders have highlighted his organisational experience, his electoral success in Bihar, and his role in strengthening the BJP in states like Chhattisgarh as key credentials.
The Congress, however, sees an opportunity to contrast its own internal contests — often messy and public — with what it describes as the BJP’s “illusion of consensus.” Khera concluded his remarks by saying that while parties may choose different models of leadership selection, the BJP should stop projecting itself as a champion of democracy. “Democracy is not about unanimity created by pressure,” he said. “It is about choice, debate, and genuine participation.”
As political sparring continues, Nabin is set to formally take charge as BJP president amid high expectations from the party’s cadre and leadership. Whether his tenure will reinforce the BJP’s organisational strength — or validate the opposition’s criticism — will become clearer in the months ahead.
