Nitish Kumar elected Janata Dal (United) president as party lauds his role in bringing together opposition parties

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was elected Janata Dal United president on Friday at the meeting of the partys national executive Kumar will take over the mantle from Lalan SinghThe meeting lauded Nitish Kumarrsquos role in bringing together opposition parties and spearheading the demand for caste census newswire PTI reportedSingh stepped down at the closeddoor meeting and proposed Kumars name saying his leadership will be needed at this crucial juncture in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls while he will be busy fighting his own election He currently represents Munger constituency in Lok SabhaThe national council meeting of the party scheduled to be held later in the day will ratify decisions including on his presidency taken in the executive meetingSources said most key leaders within the party were of the view that Kumar being its most prominent face should take charge of the organisation at this crucial timeThe party is part of the opposition INDIA allianceSinghs leadership style was also criticised by several leaders within the party in their recent interactions with Nitish Kumar the sources saidAmid reports of rift within the party the chief minister has worked to project a picture of unity by keeping him by his side Sources within the party have been dismissive of reports that Singhs perceived proximity to the RJD was a reason behind his ouster noting that he has been a close ally of Kumar for decadesNitish Kumar said in the executive meeting that he was not personally keen to take over as the partys president but will abide by the decision of national executive members who heartily endorsed the development sources saidMany enthusiastic members of the party raised slogans at the venue projecting their leader as a prime ministerial candidateSee pics Bihar CM Nitish Kumar elected Janata Dal United presidentAmong several proposals discussed in the meeting was the Nitish Kumars leadership in pushing for caste census and getting a caste survey done in Bihar leading to the state government enhancing the reservation from the existing 60 per cent to 75 per centEvery party is supporting it now it notedAmid the JDUs perceived unhappiness with leading members of the INDIA alliance for not giving its most preeminent leader a formal role in the alliance one of the proposals has cited his role in reaching out to different opposition parties to bring them together after he snapped ties with the BJP in August 2022Its general secretary Dhananjay Singh noted that it was Kumar who made it clear that there cannot be an opposition alliance without the Congress when some regional satraps including BRS leader K Chandrashekar Rao had floated the idea of a front of different nonBJP parties minus the CongressThe executive has also condemned the suspension of 146 opposition MPs from Parliament during the recent Winter SessionKumar said in the meeting that he will ensure that senior members of the party are given different rolesSingh had on Thursday rebuffed reports about his likely departure as JDU president and any rift within the partyYou are trying to set the narrative JDU is one and will remain united he said in response to the medias queries on his resignation and differences in the party asserting that it is a routine meeting a view also echoed by Kumar before he boarded the flight from Patna to DelhiIf I have to resign I will call you mediapersons and consult you about what to write in the resignation letter so that you can go to the BJP office and get the draft Singh had said sarcastically