India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday chose Rajnath Singh, 62, to be its new president as it looks toward general elections scheduled for 2014.
Singh replaces Nitin Gadkari, 55, who faces corruption allegations.
Singh was the unanimous choice of the party's parliamentary board, BJP official Thawarchand Gehlot said.
Singh, 62, had previously served as party president and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state.
Anti-graft activists allege that Gadkari was involved in illegal grabbing of farmland when he was a minister in the state government of Maharashtra.
The BJP announced earlier that Gadkari would be given a second term, but the idea was opposed by some senior members. They felt it
would have a negative impact on their strategy to allege corruption in the governing coalition led by the Indian National Congress party.