Member of Parliament Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, dismissed rumors of a division within the JD(U) and affirmed his decision not to resign. On Friday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was appointed as the national president of the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) after Singh stepped down from the position, putting an end to speculations surrounding his continuation amidst reports of a rift. Singh made this announcement during his opening speech at the party’s national executive meeting in New Delhi. Kumar had previously assumed the role of party chief in 2016, succeeding Sharad Yadav, and later relinquished the position in 2020. In 2020, former Union Minister RCP Singh, who had left the party the previous year, became the JD(U) national president.
Umesh Kushwaha, the state president of JD(U), stated that the national executive unanimously requested Nitish Kumar to assume the leadership of the party for the greater benefit of both the party and the nation. In addition, Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Chowdhary mentioned that Singh, considering his candidature in the 2024 national polls, requested to be relieved from his post and suggested that the chief minister take charge. He emphasized that there was no animosity between the two. The decision for Singh to step down came after several days of speculation regarding Kumar’s dissatisfaction with his lack of effective coordination with the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) for a more prominent role for the chief minister in the upcoming 2024 polls. These speculations were fueled by reports suggesting Kumar’s discontent with the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the Opposition grouping. However, Kumar denied these reports on Monday.
Singh dismissed any rumors of discord and affirmed his decision to stay in his position. He emphasized that Nitish Kumar is the rightful leader of their party, and the JD(U) remains united and will continue to do so. Singh firmly stated that he has no intentions of resigning. Furthermore, he extended a warm invitation to the media to promote the BJP’s agenda. Kumar’s assumption of power is perceived as a signal to the INDIA bloc and their ally, Rashtriya Janata Dal, in preparation for the seat-sharing negotiations for the upcoming national elections. Kumar is renowned for his strong negotiation skills.