Nitish Kumar Set to Retain JD(U) Presidency for 2025-28 Term

Nitish Kumar's Intent to Continue as JD(U) President

On Thursday, Nitish Kumar confirmed his intention to maintain his position as the president of the Janata Dal (United) for the 2025-28 term. As he is the sole candidate for the party's top position, it is anticipated that he will be declared elected unopposed after the deadline for withdrawing nominations, which is set for March 22. The formal announcement is expected to take place on March 24.

Election Announcement and Background

The announcement regarding the party president election was made on March 16, coinciding with Kumar's declaration as elected to the Rajya Sabha. Prior to Kumar's expected assumption of office in December 2023, Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), a central minister, served as the national president of the party. Kumar's nomination papers were submitted to Anil Prasad Hegde, a former MP and returning officer, by JD(U) executive president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Bihar's rural development minister Shravan Kumar, party MLC Sanjay Gandhi, and other leaders at the party's central office in New Delhi.

Kumar's Leadership Journey

Nitish Kumar took over as the national president of JD(U) in April 2016, succeeding senior leader Sharad Yadav. He was re-elected in 2019 but stepped down in 2020, paving the way for R.C.P. Singh to take over. Jha expressed that party members are eager to see Kumar regain leadership and mentioned that he would be visiting the party office in Delhi more frequently.

Potential Changes in Party Leadership

There is speculation that Jha may be appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, which could leave the position of national executive president vacant. The current Deputy Chairman, Harivansh Narayan Singh, will see his term end on April 9, and he has not been re-nominated for the upper house.