Gadkari formally elected BJP President

Gadkari, 52, was the only candidate to file nomination for the post. Nominations in his favour were received from 13 state party units while one proposal came from BJP Parliamentary Party. BJP General Secretary Thawar Chand Gehlot, who was in-charge of the organisational elections, handed over the election certificate to Gadkari.

Though the poll process was a mere charade - as Gadkari has been propped up by the RSS - the party went by its constitution in completing elections to 19 state units to meet the criteria of holding polls in half of the states.

Senior party leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and M Venkaiah Naidu, among others, were present. "A big responsibility has been entrusted to me by the party. This chair has earlier been graced by leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani and it is my good fortune to occupy it," Gadkari said.

He asserted that he would strive to make the party stronger with price rise and internal security being the prime issues on which BJP will take on the government. Reeling under two successive Lok Sabha poll defeats, BJP today appeared in a festive mood after a long time.