Nitish Kumar takes over as new JD-U chief

Aims to challenge BJP in UP in 2017 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Taking upon himself the task of choking the strength of the BJP in the so-called cow belt, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday took over charge of his Janata Dal (United) party from outgoing president Sharad Yadav. The JD(U) national executive, in its meeting at the Parliament annexe here, endorsed Mr Kumar as the new party chief.

Mr Yadav proposed the name of the Bihar chief minister for the post of JD(U) president, that was seconded by its national general secretary K.C. Tyagi. Afterwards, the national executive delegates gave their stamp of approval by a thumping of desks.

“The BJP won 73 Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh and another 33 in Bihar. The two states together account for 106 of the total strength of 282 of the BJP in the Lok Sabha. The JD(U), under the leadership of Mr Kumar, will seek to squeeze out the BJP from these two states,” Mr Tyagi told reporters after the meeting.

The Bihar CM and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are known for their political rivalry, that was seen in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as well as in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls. “We are not only looking at the 2019 general election, but also at the 2017 UP Assembly polls,” Mr Tyagi said.

Mr Kumar, incidentally, is trying to script the merger of smaller parties in UP with the JD(U) and forge a pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the 2017 state elections in a bid to expand his footprint outside Bihar. “We stopped them (BJP) in Bihar, we are working to stop them in UP,” added Mr Tyagi.

After George Fernandes (2003-06) and Mr Yadav (1997-2003, 2006-16), Mr Kumar is the JD(U)’s third president. As mandated by the Election Commission, the national council of the JD(U) will meet on April 23 in Patna to approve the national executive’s decision to elect Mr Kumar as party president.

With Prashant Kishore, a close confidant of the Bihar CM, also inducted in the party’s national executive, Mr Kumar plans to make him the “Chanakya” of all like-minded parties, and lure more anti-BJP elements by offering them his services. He has already been embedded in the team of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. With all these elements in place, the JD(U), under Mr Kumar’s leadership, will work to ensure first to target the BJP in 2017 in UP, and later the ruling NDA in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the sources said.

While speaking at Sunday’s national executive meeting, Mr Kumar said the party has bestowed upon an onerous responsibility on him, and he would seek to justify the trust. “Humbled by party’s trust in me. Will try my best to carry Sharad Yadav’s legacy forward and I accept the new role as president of JD(U),” he tweeted afterwards.