L K Advani congratulates Rajnath Singh on being elected BJP president

Congratulating Rajnath Singh on his election as the next BJP president, senior party leader L K Advani said the former now held the responsibility of leading the BJP to victory in the 2014 general elections.

"The responsibility of victory in Assembly and general elections in the next two years lies on Rajnath Singh. Rajnath Singh has to revive the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, where the party's position is painful," Advani said.

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"Winning elections needs an ability to bring people together, and this he has in adequate measure," he said.

"Rajnath has focused on agricultural issues and farmers. I'm sure he will take the party forward on these principles. It is his special responsibility that there should be no compromise with anything that's not moral. Then we can live up to being the ''party with a difference"," Advani said.

Advani also praised Nitin Gadkari saying that he was an expert in infrastructure, and used to work late into the night for the party.

Rajnath Singh has been formally elected the national president as no other leader from the party had filed nomination papers.

After his election on Wednesday, Singh was felicitated by senior leaders, including Gadkari, Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, M Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and Ramlal to file his nomination papers.

Singh filed his nomination papers for the post of president after incumbent Nitin Gadkari resigned as the head of the organisation. A total 18 sets of nomination papers were filed in favour of Singh.

"Rajnath Singh has not withdrawn his nomination papers. He being the single candidate after end of nominations is being declared elected for post of BJP president," said returning officer of the BJP, Thawar Chand Gehlot.

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