Nitish Kumar Takes Helm as New JDU President as Lalan Singh Steps Down

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been named the new president of the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) party, in a significant political shift ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The announcement came after weeks of speculation and denials, following Lalan Singh’s resignation from the post during the party’s executive meeting in Delhi.

Singh cited a desire to focus on the upcoming elections as the reason for stepping down and proposed Kumar as his successor. The move was quickly approved, with Kumar elected within minutes.

Kumar’s rise to the JDU presidency is seen as a strategic move to strengthen the party’s position and boost its bargaining power in the INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties. His new role gives him more clout to negotiate alliances and seat-sharing arrangements, particularly in Bihar.

The resolution adopted at the national executive meeting authorizes Kumar to begin discussions about alliances with other members of the INDIA bloc. This could potentially give the bloc a stronger platform to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming elections.

While some JDU leaders are advocating for Kumar to lead the INDIA bloc as a potential prime ministerial candidate, Kumar himself has denied any such ambition. He has stated that his focus is on strengthening the alliance and defeating the BJP in 2024.