The Parliamentary Board of the BJP on Wednesday approved the proposal of the RSS to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s confidant Amit Shah the next president of the BJP.

The decision is expected to help in better coordination between the party and the Government.

As BJP’s general-secretary, Shah had been in charge of Uttar Pradesh, where the party won 71 of the 80 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

His elevation as President is being seen as an appreciation of his work in the Hindi heartland.

After a brief meeting of the board, Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced the decision. “He (Amit Shah) has all the capabilities and management skills required for strengthening the organisation,” Rajnath said. Shah will assume charge with immediate effect, he added.

The BJP expects to improve its organisational strength by focusing on the eastern region, apart from the West and the heartland. The immediate tasks before Shah will be the upcoming elections to the Assemblies of Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi.

Strengthening the party Accepting the resignation of Rajnath as party president, the board said he took over at a very crucial period and had strengthened the party organisation.

“Singh’s tenure was the highest point in the history of BJP and an epoch-making time in Indian politics. All the members of the Parliamentary Board, while expressing gratitude to Singh, hope that his leadership and guidance will always be available to the party,” said a resolution adopted in the meeting attended by all the top leaders.

Modi thanked Rajnath for his “great leadership, under which the party scaled new heights of success.”

“With the blessings of party elders and selfless efforts of karyakartas (party workers), BJP’s mission of creating a strong and developed India continues,” Modi said.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties expressed surprise over the BJP’s decision to elevate a person facing a murder case.

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