Nitish elected JD(U) president; party asks bigger INDIA parties to show 'big heart'

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was elected Janata Dal (United) president on Friday with the party projecting him as the “hope of backwards, extremely backwards, minorities and unemployed youth” and urged bigger parties in the INDIA bloc to “show a big heart” to make the alliance successful.

While Kumar, in his brief speech, reiterated that he seeks no post and will work to make the alliance stronger, the resolution adopted at the JD(U)’s national council meeting asked the bloc to give “any leader responsibilities as per experience and capability” and said there are few leaders as experienced as him in the national politics.

The national council meeting followed the party’s national executive meeting in which Lalan Singh stepped down as its president and Kumar was elected in his place at a time when the JD(U), whose political fortunes have been on a decline, gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.