At the national executive meeting in New Delhi, Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh, president of the Janata Dal (United), offered to resign. In the interest of the party and nation, the JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha said the party’s national executive requested Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to assume responsibility for the position.
Kumar’s return is rumored to be the reason for Lalan Singh’s resignation from the top post, which kicked off the key meeting today in New Delhi.
Nothing extraordinary about JD(U) conclave, asserts Nitish before leaving for Delhi
JD(U)’s national council will ratify the decisions taken by the executive later in the day.
Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said, “There will national executive meeting of JD(U). If they accept our proposal then Nitish Kumar will be the party president. Lalan Singh told CM Nitish Kumar that he will be busy with elections, so he wants to hand over the post of party president to him and Nitish Kumar accepted it.”
Kumar previously maintained that key meetings in the national capital were routine annual events.
“These meetings take place every year. It’s normal…there is nothing specific at all. These are routine meetings”, the chief minister told reporters in Patna on Thursday.
As Singh reaffirmed the leadership of the party, rumours about his future and disagreements with Nitish Kumar were being spread by the BJP. “I will call you (media persons) if I must resign and ask you how to write the resignation letter so you can visit the BJP office and obtain the draft,” Singh said sarcastically.
“Nitish Kumar is the leader of our party. Janata Dal (United) is united and it will remain the same. If I have to resign, I will consult you,” he said.
Singh’s impending departure was also initially dismissed by Choudhary.
When asked whether he’ll be the next party president, a surprised Choudhary said, “You are the first person telling me this.”
“Currently, Lalan Singh is the Janata Dal(United) national president. If he’s the national chief, then why would such a thing come up? He’s working fine.”
Senior party leader KC Tyagi, who was present at the national executive meeting, stated that the meeting would be a regular one in which alliance dynamics in states would also be discussed.
