'Are they playing Bigg Boss, where was the election': Congress attacks BJP over picking Nitin Nabin as party president

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP after it formally declared Nitin Nabin as its new chief, saying the ruling party announced the president first and then stated that there would be an election but there was none.

The opposition party also took a dig at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying he is unhappy as he did not get anything to "manipulate" in this process.

"Gyanesh Kumar wants to resign in protest; he has no role, he can't even influence, he can't even manipulate anything," the Congress' media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, said while targeting the CEC, whom the opposition party has been attacking alleging irregularities in elections.

Nabin, 45, was formally declared the BJP national president on Tuesday, succeeding J P Nadda and marking a new chapter for the party.

K Laxman, Returning Officer for BJP organisational polls, declared the results and handed over the certificate of election to Nabin, the youngest ever to occupy the top party post.

Asked about the development at a press conference here, Khera said, "Where is the election? Why do you even call it an election. You announce the president first and then say there will be an election, and then there is no election.

"Gyanesh Kumar wants to resign in protest; he has no role, he can't even influence, he can't even manipulate anything," Khera quipped tongue-in-cheek.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that Nabin is his "boss" in party matters, Khera said, "They can keep playing games among themselves. Sometimes Mohan Bhagwat becomes someone's boss, sometimes Modi becomes someone's boss. We don't care about the tears of seers and are playing boss-boss." Khera's remarks were in reference to the row over authorities allegedly stopping Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati from taking a holy dip in the Ganga in Prayagraj.

"Is Bigg Boss game being played here. What is this? The biggest boss of Hindu dharma is shedding tears and they are busy playing Bigg Boss," Khera said, targeting the BJP.

Nabin became the 12th president of the BJP, which was founded in 1980, the same year he was born.

The low-profile and unassuming Nabin had resigned as the minister for law and justice, urban development and housing in the Bihar government after he was appointed working president of the BJP on December 14.