JDU president race hots up, two hot contenders

The stage is all set for the JDU's crucial meeting in New Delhi tomorrow when all the top leaders of the party will be attending the JDU National Executive Committee meet including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The name of Upendra Kushwaha and Lok Sabha member Rajiv Ranjan Singh are making rounds. The main aim of the meeting is to appoint a new party president, writes Amit Bhelari, Bihar Bureau Chief, ETV Bharat.

Patna: The stage is all set for the JDU's crucial meeting in New Delhi tomorrow when all the top leaders of the party will be attending the JDU National Executive Committee meet including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar will leave for the national capital after the last day of the monsoon session ends today evening. The party's two-day meeting assumes significance in which the incumbent party president RCP Singh will make way for another leader.

Ever since RCP Singh has become the Cabinet Minister in the Narendra Modi led NDA government, the talks have started in state politics that JDU will follow its rule of 'one man one post'. In fact, RCP Singh has hinted about leaving the post if the party decides so. JDU has called a meeting in its party office at 4 pm in which all the 75 leaders of the National Executive Committee will be present. Though the agenda of the meeting is the election in other states apart from the membership drive, talks related to the new JDU President would be in the core agenda amid several political developments in Bihar.

The name of Upendra Kushwaha, who is presently the Chairman of the Parliamentary Board Committee, is on top. However, Nitish's close confidante and Lok Sabha member Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh is also in the race for the top post. Lalan's name was also among the possibilities for a cabinet minister berth but only RCP Singh made the entry after which the JDU MP from Munger seems to be disappointed with the central leadership. So to calm him down, Nitish Kumar may opt for Lalan as the new JDU president.

It was Lalan Singh who is said to be playing a crucial role in the split of the LJP. It was very much evident from the fact when he was seen hobnobbing with LJP MPs in Delhi along with other JDU MLC Sanjay Singh at the time of the coup in the party. After the successful operation in splitting LJP, Lalan was very much sure that he would be rewarded and was expecting a berth in Union cabinet. However, his dreams got shattered when only one man from JDU, RCP Singh got inducted into the union cabinet.

However, in the present scenario, Kushwaha is the most suitable candidate for the post. Lalan has been a trusted man of Nitish Kumar for years but Kushwaha scores more than him because he brought leadership value as being the most prominent face of the Koeri community. Last time on July 18, RCP Singh had interacted with CM Nitish and other senior leaders of the party including Kushwaha virtually but Lalan Singh was not part of that meeting.

Patna based political expert Dr Sanjay Kumar too opined that the agenda of the meeting is going to veer around the new JDU president. "Though several issues would be discussed, the focus would be on the new JDU president after RCP Singh becoming a cabinet minister. The names of Upendra Kushwaha and Lalan Singh are being taken but with Nitish Kumar at helm, it cannot be predicted. He is known for springing surprises and there are chances that a third person is made the JDU president from EBC. You never know what is going on in the mind of Nitish," Dr Sanjay said.

Asked about who has better chances, Dr Sanjay further said, "As I said that Nitish is known for giving surprises but in today's scenario Upendra Kushwaha has the upper hand among all the possible names. RCP is not in a cordial relation with both Kushwaha and Lalan Singh and he may not propose their names, in that case, some other leaders may grab the opportunity."