Nitish Kumar takes the helm as President of JDU following Lalan Singh’s resignation

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was elected the Janata Dal (United) president at the party's national executive meeting on Friday, succeeding Lalan Singh, who resigned and proposed Kumar's name. The decisions made in the executive meeting are expected to be ratified by the national council meeting later in the day.

As per reports, many key leaders within the party believe that Kumar should lead the organization, especially with the approaching 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The party is a part of the opposition INDIA bloc.

Kumar and Singh downplayed reports of significant changes within the party, characterizing these meetings as routine. Despite their shared history spanning many decades, Singh briefly quit JD(U) between 2010 and 2013. Kumar emphasized that the two-day conclave in Delhi was a regular and annual event.

Lalan Singh affirmed Nitish Kumar as the supreme leader and said, “Nitish Kumar is our supreme leader and the JDU is one and will always remain one.”

The meeting occurred shortly after the critical INDIA alliance meeting in Delhi. As part of the alliance, JDU will engage in discussions with Congress to determine the alliance combination for the state. Amidst these discussions, many JDU leaders advocate for Nitish to lead the INDIA bloc.