New Delhi:In a unanimous decision at the party’s national executive meeting in Delhi on Friday afternoon, Nitish Kumar was re-elected as President of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United). The Bihar Chief Minister’s re-appointment followed the resignation of his aide, Lalan Singh, putting an end to weeks of speculation.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lalan Singh dismissed rumors of a party rift, stating, “Anger? What anger? Why should I be angry? This is the first time I have heard this word.”
Sources suggest Lalan Singh’s removal was due to perceived proximity to the JDU’s alliance partner in Bihar, Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). There were speculations that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister and Lalu Yadav’s son, was being groomed to take over.
Concerns arose within the JDU after BJP leader Giriraj Singh claimed that Lalu Yadav had told him, “… the JDU will merge with RJD soon.” However, Tejashwi Yadav dismissed the claim, accusing the BJP of “planting stories” to destabilize the JDU-RJD alliance.
Officially, Lalan Singh expressed a desire for more time to focus on his constituency ahead of next year’s election, stating, “Lalan Singh said he will be busy with elections… so wants to hand over the post of party President to Chief Minister… and Nitish Kumar has accepted it.”
This leadership change comes months before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, fueling speculation about Nitish Kumar’s prime ministerial ambitions. Nitish Kumar, despite being passed over as a potential PM candidate for the opposition bloc earlier, insisted on uniting parties opposed to the BJP.
The reshuffling of the JDU’s leadership has raised eyebrows, with critics pointing to Nitish Kumar’s past decisions, including dropping the BJP as an ally in August last year after a poor showing in the 2020 election. Nitish Kumar returned as Chief Minister with BJP support.
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