Taking charge as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national president on Tuesday, Nitin Nabin moved swiftly to shape his leadership footprint by announcing a series of key organisational appointments linked to upcoming Assembly and municipal elections. The decisions are being viewed within party circles as an early indication of Nabin’s priorities and the team he may rely on going forward.

One of Nabin’s first decisions was appointing BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde as the election in-charge for the Kerala Assembly elections. Tawde has also been named an observer for the Chandigarh mayoral elections. Among the most senior leaders in the party’s organisational setup, Tawde currently oversees Bihar, where the NDA registered a sweeping victory in the recent Assembly elections.

His expanded role is being seen as a sign of growing trust and a possible elevation in stature within the party’s central leadership. Alongside him, Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje has been appointed as the co-in-charge for the Kerala polls.

Ram Madhav returns to organisational spotlight

Another notable appointment is that of Ram Madhav as the in-charge for the Bengaluru municipal corporation elections. Madhav previously served as a national general secretary during Amit Shah’s tenure as BJP president and played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir politics, including during the formation of the BJP–PDP alliance in 2015.

After being sent back to the RSS in 2020, Madhav’s return to active organisational responsibilities became clearer when he was appointed election in-charge for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in 2024. His latest assignment is being interpreted as a signal of a larger role ahead and renewed backing from the RSS.

Former Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia has been named co-in-charge for the Bengaluru civic polls, along with Maharashtra MLA Sanjay Upadhyay. Poonia, who has been seeking a political comeback after his Assembly election defeat, has recently handled responsibilities in Haryana and Bihar.

Focus on younger leadership in Telangana

In another significant move, Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar has been appointed in-charge for the Telangana municipal corporation elections. Considered one of the younger faces in the Maharashtra BJP, Shelar is known to be close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and has previously led the Maharashtra Yuva Morcha.

Former Rajasthan BJP president Ashok Parnami and Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma will assist Shelar as co-in-charges. Shelar’s appointment is also being seen as a reflection of his close working relationship with Nitin Nabin and an emphasis on grooming leaders with organisational experience.

Together, these early appointments suggest that Nabin’s tenure may focus on blending senior organisational hands with relatively younger leaders, as the BJP prepares for a series of crucial electoral battles.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that India will not allow illegal immigrants to take advantage of the country’s people or resources, calling illegal immigration a major threat to national security.

Addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters after 45-year-old Nitin Nabin was declared elected as the party’s national president, the prime minister said it was essential to identify illegal immigrants and send them back to their respective countries.

Illegal immigration a global issue

Modi said several wealthy and influential countries that project themselves as champions of democracy are also deporting illegal immigrants, and their actions are rarely questioned.

“No country in the world accepts illegal immigrants. It is necessary to identify them and send them back to their countries,” he said, adding that India would not allow its services meant for the poor to be misused.

The prime minister also accused some political parties of protecting illegal immigrants for votebank politics. He said such actions must be exposed before the public.

Urban Naxals and population imbalance flagged

Apart from illegal immigration, Modi highlighted urban Naxals and population imbalance as other serious challenges facing the country. He alleged that urban Naxals are expanding their influence globally and working to damage India’s interests.

The prime minister claimed that individuals who occasionally speak positively about him or the government are often targeted and silenced. According to him, such people are subjected to public humiliation and social isolation, which he described as a tactic used by urban Naxals.

Modi recalled that the BJP had earlier been treated as untouchable for years but said the public is now recognising these methods. He urged party workers to counter what he called an anti-India nexus through organisational strength and ideological commitment.

The car of a 27-year-old software engineer that plunged into a water-filled construction pit in Noida has been recovered three days after the accident, raising hopes that vital clues could emerge from the vehicle to aid the ongoing investigation.

The grey Grand Vitara, driven by Yuvraj Mehta, was pulled out on Tuesday evening using a crane from a nearly 20-foot-deep pit in Sector 150. The SUV was found covered in weeds, with visible damage to its front portion.

Officials said the bonnet of the vehicle was open and crumpled, while the front appeared to have taken a direct impact. This has led investigators to believe that the car may have struck a barrier along a drain separating the road from the construction pit before falling into the water.

Visuals from the site also showed that the front windshield was shattered and the sunroof was open. According to officials, Mehta may have escaped the submerged vehicle either through the sunroof or the broken windshield.

A close friend of the deceased, Pankaj Tokas, told media that the car was equipped with a dashcam. Police are now examining whether footage from the device can provide crucial insight into the moments leading up to the crash.

The incident occurred around 12.30 am on Saturday when Mehta, who worked at a firm in Gurugram, was returning home to his apartment at Tata Eureka Park in Sector 150. Though familiar with the route, dense fog severely reduced visibility that night.

While taking a sharp turn roughly 800 metres from his residence, the SUV reportedly jumped two barriers near a drain and plunged into the pit filled with water.

After managing to get out of the vehicle, Mehta, who did not know how to swim, called his father for help. His father reached the location soon after and was later joined by teams from the police, fire brigade and the State Disaster Response Force.

However, extremely poor visibility due to thick fog hampered rescue efforts. Mehta could not be located in time and drowned nearly 90 minutes after the accident.

Police said further investigation will depend on forensic examination of the vehicle and any recoverable electronic evidence.