After Lalan Singh stands down, Bihar head Minister Nitish Kumar becomes the new JD(U) head

After Member of Parliament Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan, resigned from the position on Friday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was designated the Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), national president. This put an end to days of uncertainty regarding Singh’s continued tenure amid rumors of a breach.

In his inaugural address, Singh made the announcement at the party’s national executive gathering in New Delhi. Prior to stepping down from the position in 2020, Kumar succeeded Sharad Yadav as the party head in 2016. In 2020, RCP Singh, a former Union minister who left the party last year, was elected national president of JD(U).

According to JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha, Kumar was asked to assume the party’s leadership by the national executive for the sake of both the party and the country as a whole. It was a consensus desire, he continued.

Minister for Bihar Vijay Kumar Chowdhary said that Singh had requested to be removed from office and that the chief minister should take over, citing his candidacy in the 2024 national elections. “Betrayal did not exist between the two.”

Following weeks of rumors that Kumar was not pleased with Singh for not “coordinating effectively” with the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to secure a larger role for the chief minister at the national level prior to the 2024 elections, Singh announced his resignation.

Reports that Kumar was dissatisfied with Mallikarjun Kharge, the head of the Congress, being projected as the opposition group’s nominee for prime minister fueled the rumors. Kumar refuted the claims on Monday.

On Thursday, Singh denied rumors of a falling out and reaffirmed his intention to stay in office. “Our party’s leader is Nitish Kumar. JD(U) is unified and will not change. I refuse to step down. The media is very welcome to promote the objectives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Prior to the seat-sharing process for the national elections, Kumar’s assumption of power is seen as a message to the INDIA bloc and ally Rashtriya Janata Dal. He’s regarded as a tough negotiator.