Lalan Singh Quits, Nitish Kumar Elected New JDU President, Say Sources

NEW DELHI: In a big political development months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Friday elected as national president of the Janata Dal (United) at a meeting of the party's national executive in Delhi. Kumar was appointed to the party's top position shortly after Lalan Singh offered to step down. According to sources, Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh offered his resignation shortly after the JDU national executive meeting began at the Constitution Club in Delhi.

During the JDU national executive meeting, Lalan Singh offered to resign as the JDU president, which was accepted by the top leadership, sources said. In the run-up to the crucial Lok Sabha polls, the Janata Dal (United), which is poised to make significant changes in its organizational structure, has now made it clear that Bihar's ruling party will now contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under Nitish Kumar's leadership. An official announcement on the fast-paced developments within the JDU will be made in the evening around 5 PM. 

The JDU national executive, which began around 11 AM, was attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and other top party leaders. Just minutes ahead of the meeting, Bihar Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary dismissed all reports about his possible elevation as party president and said that Lalan Singh, the present national president of the party, is working fine. 

Senior JDU leader KC Tyagi also earlier emphasised that the meeting would be a regular one where alliances in states would also be discussed. "Today, JD(U) national executive meeting will take place wherein discussions will be held on the current political scenario and financial environment of the country...and on seat sharing to target other states as well" KC Tyagi said. Importantly, the JD(U) leadership had on Thursday quashed all reports that suggested a likely change of guard in the party leadership.

Growing Discord Within JDU

Reports earlier suggested that Lalan Singh had fallen out of favour with Nitish Kumar due to his perceived closeness to JD(U)'s ally, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Signs of this discord surfaced when Lalan Singh's name and photograph were conspicuously absent from posters welcoming Nitish and other leaders at the JD(U) office in New Delhi.

Agenda Of JDU National Executive Meeting

The national executive meeting, which began at Delhi's Constitution Club, is expected to delve into the party's strategy for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections and seat-sharing with the INDIA bloc members. 

Lalan-Nitish Meet Amidst Speculations

Interestingly, Lalan Singh met Nitish Kumar at the latter's residence on Thursday, followed by their joint arrival at the party office - a symbolic gesture to project unity within the party ahead of the crucial meet. The two leaders share a longstanding alliance, except for a brief hiatus between 2010 and 2013 when Singh parted ways with the JD(U).

While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dismissed the ongoing speculations, terming the JD(U) conclave as a routine event, he remained tight-lipped about taking over the JDU chief and rejoining the NDA fold. Lalan Singh, on the other hand, reacted contemptuously to reports of his resignation, affirming the normalcy within the party.

The leadership change in the JDU also comes months before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls amid reports of Bihar CM's prime ministerial ambitions. It may be recalled that the new JDU boss was not considered as the INDIA bloc's PM candidate - a move that didn't go well with Bihar's ruling party leaders who had been projecting Notish for the top job. However, both Nitish and the JDU categorically rubbished rumours of rifts within the INDIA alliance after Mallikarjun Kharge's name was proposed as the bloc's prime ministerial candidate.