The Janata Dal (United) national council on Sunday unanimously endorsed Nitish Kumar as the party’s national president. Leaders also declared his son Nishant Kumar, the Bihar health minister, as the future of the party.
The meetings of the party’s state and national councils were held in Patna. This was the first key gathering after Nitish Kumar stepped down as Bihar chief minister around two months ago.
JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha said in the presence of Nitish Kumar that Nishant Kumar is the future of the party. He added that Nishant was allowed to join politics only after Nitish decided to quit as chief minister and move to national politics.
Union minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and assembly leader Shravan Kumar echoed similar views. Nishant Kumar said party workers had given him an important role and that the legacy of Nitish Kumar must be carried forward through hard work on the ground.
The state council also ratified Umesh Singh Kushwaha as state president for a third term. A total of 223 representatives from 19 states attended the meetings.
