Rajnath Singh has been elected unopposed as the new President of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The formal announcement was made by the Central Election Officer Thawar Chand Gehlot at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

The BJP Parliamentary Board that met earlier in the day had endorsed the candidature of Rajnath Singh for Party Presidentship.

Briefing newsmen Party leader Ananth Kumar said, the Chairman of the Parliamentary party, Mr. L.K Advani moved a resolution appreciating the good work done by the outgoing Party president Nitin Gadkari in the last three years.

He said all senior leaders including Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were present and the resolution was unanimously accepted by the party leaders.

Rajnath Singh a former National President of the BJP has also served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and was a Cabinet Minister during the NDA regime.

BJP President Nitin Gadkari resigned from the party post last evening. In a statement issued last night Mr.Gadkari opted out of the race from the post of party President.

He said, he did not want the allegations against him to adversely affect the interests of the party in any way.

After taking over as the BJP President for a second time Mr. Rajnath Singh said, he accepts the position as a responsibility and would bring the BJP back to power.

He said he was taking over in not very conducive conditions in the wake of allegations leveled against the outgoing Party President Nitin Gadkari. The entire party will stand by Nitin Gadkari in his fight against injustice.

Mr. Rajnath alleged that, Home Minister Sushil Kumar's statement on Hindu terror brings to fore the fact that the government is not serious in the fight against terrorism. He blamed the Congress for the adverse economic and security.