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1st LD Writethru: India's ruling BJP re-elects Amit Shah as president for second time

Xinhua, January 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday re-elected Amit Shah as its president for a second term.

Shah was elected unopposed.

"Amit Shah has been unanimously elected as the president of party and will hold the post for the next three years," Indian home minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh told media. "Only one candidate has filed nomination paper and that is Amit Shah."

Shah is considered to be a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has served as home minister of western state of Gujarat when Modi was its chief minister.

He took charge as BJP president in July 2014, midway from Singh who joined Modi's cabinet as India's home minister.

Following the announcement celebrations broke out at the BJP headquarters with supporters beating drums and playing the tune of conchshells near the dice.

BJP leaders credit Shah with the party's spectacular performance in several states and assuming power in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Indian-controlled Kashmir.

However, BJP suffered badly in New Delhi and recently held Bihar elections.

BJP will soon plunge into its election campaign for polls in five states later this year.

Senior BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were conspicuously missing during Shah's nomination. Endit