The rise and rise of Nadda

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 20

Nadda, who paddled into active political life as a teenager during “Samagra Kranti” (total revolution movement) launched by Jai Prakash Narayan, carries a baggage of 45 years of active social and political life to see this day.

Also read: Nadda takes BJP reins

Born on December 2, 1960, at Patna in Bihar, 59-year-old Nadda studied at St Xavier’s School, Patna, graduated from Patna College and completed his LLB from Himachal Pradesh University.

An activist of ABVP, he was elected president of the Students Central Association of HPU in 1983, breaking the SFI monopoly, served as organising secretary of the Himachal ABVP for a short span and shifted to Delhi and served as ABVP organising secretary from 1985-89 besides participating in many agitations.

He was appointed the ABVP national secretary in 1989 and was later sent to Himachal as organising secretary of the state BJP. In 1991, he was appointed the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and participated in “Taranga Yatra” of then BJP chief Murli Manohar Joshi.

Nadda entered Vidhan Sabha for the first time from Bilaspur constituency in 1993 and was elected as leader of the BJP legislature party. A powerful orator, Nadda caused ripples in the Himachal Vidhan Sabha with his maiden speech on Himachal budget in 1994.

He retained his seat in 1998 and was inducted as the Health and Family Welfare Minister in the BJP-HVC coalition government led by PK Dhumal. He was again elected in 2007 and served as the Forest and Environment Minister, but resigned from the Cabinet in 2010, following his appointment as the BJP general secretary during the tenure of Nitin Gadkari.

Political circles were skeptical about his decision but the developments that followed proved him right. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Himachal in April 2012 and did not contest the Assembly polls held later that year.

Nadda was inducted into the Union Cabinet as the Health and Family Welfare Minister in November 2014 but was not part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi cabinet in 2019, indicating that he was tipped for some bigger role and was appointed the party working president on June 18, 2019, after Amit Shah became the Home Minister.

Nadda was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from Himachal in April 2018 and held several key posts, including the secretary of the BJP parliamentary board.

Married to Mallika Nadda in December 1991, he has two sons (twins). His father Dr NL Nadda is an eminent academician who was a professor in Patna University and Vice-Chancellor of Ranchi University. He also remained Chairman of the Board of School Education, Himachal Pradesh.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.