“By opposing PM Narendra Modi, the opposition has also begun to oppose women, aadhi aabadi (half the population),” Nabin stated.
At 45, Nabin became the youngest individual elected as the national leader of the BJP. In his congratulatory note following Nabin’s appointment as BJP chief, Prime Minister Modi referred to him as “boss.” “That reflects the essence of our party,” the 12th president of the party remarked, showing appreciation for the PM, who holds seniority in politics.
Nabin is the son of veteran BJP leader and former MLA Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha. After his father’s passing in 2006, Nabin entered active service in politics at age 26 and ran for the Bankipur Assembly constituency in Patna.
Nabin has assumed leadership of the party as elections are set to commence in four states and one union territory (Puducherry), including challenging contests in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, areas currently governed by formidable opposition parties.
Highlighting the BJP’s rise from 3 seats to 77 in the last Bengal elections, Nabin expressed confidence in the party’s ability to secure an absolute majority in the upcoming state government.
In its competition against the rival Trinamool Congress, which has ruled West Bengal since 2011, the BJP has faced accusations of manipulating the Election Commission to favor their outcomes through a special intensive revision that eliminated 9.2 million voters in the state.
To provide context, the margin of victory in all 294 constituencies during the last assembly election was slightly over 6 million.
Read more: Bengal polls 2026: Mamata’s survival, BJP’s surge, SIR at the core
Nabin defended that the Election Commission lacks its own infrastructure, depending on state government officials for the SIR. “Why is Didi so concerned about voters who didn’t exist?” he questioned.
Didi, meaning elder sister in Bangla, refers to Mamata Banerjee, the current chief minister of Bengal and leader of the Trinamool Congress.
Track the latest election updates from all states here.
(Edited by : Sriram Iyer)
First Published: Apr 23, 2026 12:07 PM IST
