The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers accorded a warm welcome to Nitin Nabin as he arrived in Patna on Tuesday for the first time after assuming charge as the BJP’s National Executive President.
Addressing party workers at a grand felicitation ceremony held at Miller High School Ground in Patna, Nitin Nabin urged them to unite under the leadership of Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and begin preparations for the upcoming Panchayat elections in the state.
Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the “BJP’s golden era will begin only when the saffron flag flies from the Panchayat to the Parliament,” Nabin said the phrase was not merely a political slogan but reflected the BJP’s ambition to establish electoral dominance at every level of governance.
“The massive mandate given by the people of Bihar to the BJP and its allies in the recent Assembly elections carries enormous responsibilities towards public welfare for the next five years. Therefore, we cannot afford to be part-time politicians,” he said.
Launching a sharp attack on the Opposition, Nabin said India had several “part-time politicians,” naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks during his recent visit to Germany, Nabin said the Congress leader habitually criticises the Constitution and constitutional institutions while in India, and targets the country as a whole when abroad.
“He did the same in Germany,” he added.
Targeting Tejashwi Yadav, he said, “There is another part-time leader in Bihar who remains absent from the Assembly during sessions, and when issues demand leadership on the streets, he goes abroad and then blames the democratic system for electoral defeat.”
Calling upon party workers to remain connected with the people, Nabin asserted that only those leaders who stay rooted among the masses rise to the top. “You must become full-time politicians. Part-time work will not suffice. The BJP functions 24×7,” he said.
“Wherever I may live, Patna will always remain in my heart. I have reached this position only because of the blessings of the people of Bihar,” Nabin added.
Earlier in the day, Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi welcomed Nitin Nabin at the Patna airport and presented him with a garland made of makhana (fox nuts). Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary presented him with a shawl and a bouquet. Several senior leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, Rituraj Sinha, Mangal Pandey, Dilip Jaiswal, Sanjeev Chaurasia, and others, were present at the airport.
A massive roadshow was organised from Patna Airport to the Miller High School Ground and the BJP state office. A sea of party workers, saffron flags, drumbeats, and slogans accompanied the convoy, which was seen as a display of the party’s organisational strength, unity, and enthusiasm.
Later, Nabin held a meeting with BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and office-bearers of the Bihar BJP at the party’s state headquarters in Patna.