BJP working president Jagat Prakash Nadda has takenover as party president, a responsibility he shared with Home Minister Amit Shahfor nearly a year. Top leaders from across the country gathered at the BJPoffice on Monday morning, where his name was formally proposed for new chief.

Nadda,the number three of sorts in the ruling party, has been elected unopposed sincehe is the only candidate. Senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who is the in-chargeof the organizational election process, made the announcement at the partyheadquarters in Delhi.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi andHome Minister Amit Shah are expected to be at the BJP office for Nadda's formalelevation.

Ex-chiefs and parliamentary board members Amit Shah,Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari proposed Nadda's name.

Former party president Rajnath Singh said, "Amit Shah's stint as BJP chief was unparalleled. He took the party to new heights."

Nadda enjoys the trust of both PM and Shah and isunlikely to face too tough a challenge as far as the BJP organization goes. Hismost difficult task is to try and maintain the BJP's dominance in elections,given the party's losses in recent state elections.

Shah had written to the Prime Minister requestingthat his job of party chief be given to someone else so he could focus on hisministerial responsibilities. Shah remained President of the party since June2019 for completing organizational restructuring commitments.

Nadda's critics feel he will continue to work in Shah'sshadow. The BJP has rubbished these claims, calling it the criticism of a party"that cannot think beyond a family for leadership."