New Delhi (PTI): Nitin Nabin was on Tuesday formally declared as the BJP national president, succeeding J P Nadda and beginning a new chapter for the party as it seeks to tighten its grip on politics in the country.

K Laxman, Returning Officer for BJP organisational polls, declared the results of the organisational elections and handed over the certificate of election to 45-year-old Nabin, the youngest ever to occupy the top party post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda, senior ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, among others, were present at the BJP headquarters to witness the leadership transition.

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.

"This election shows that in the BJP, leadership rises from hard work and dedication, not from dynastic privilege," Laxman said, announcing the outcome of the elections.

"Today is a very historic occasion, when our young, energetic, and talented Nitin Nabin is taking charge as the National President of the world's largest political party, the BJP. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to him on my behalf and on behalf of crores of workers," Nadda said, addressing the gathering.

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Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.

Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”

He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.

His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.

Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.

He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.

“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.