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2 min readPatnaMar 19, 2026 06:18 AM IST
Nitish had taken over as JD(U) national president from party colleague and now Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) in December 2023.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to return as the party’s national president unopposed, being the sole candidate to file nomination for the post Thursday.
Nitish had taken over as JD(U) national president from party colleague and now Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) in December 2023.
This will be his fourth term as party chief. He first became national president in April 2016, taking over from senior leader Sharad Yadav. He was re-elected in 2019 but made way for RCP Singh in 2020.
On March 16, 2026, JD(U) announced a fresh election schedule for the post.
Following his recent Rajya Sabha victory and impending resignation as Chief Minister, Nitish, the incumbent president, is widely expected to be re-elected unopposed.
JD(U) national general secretary Aafaque Ahmad told The Indian Express: “Party’s national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha is likely to accompany Nitish Kumar during his filing of nomination papers. March 22 is the last date of withdrawal of candidates. Nitish Kumar should be formally re-elected on March 27.”
Amid speculation that Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha may be made Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, replacing Harivansh Narayan Singh, the JD(U) may look for a new national working president — a post outside the organisational polls and at the discretion of the party chief.
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A JD(U) leader said: “As JD(U)’s politics is entering the Nishant Kumar era, the party would be very careful in making its new team under Nitish Kumar. While Nitish Kumar would be in the role of all-time mentor, the party’s new organisational structure has to revolve around his son Nishant Kumar, who has become very active ever since he formally joined the party on March 8”.
Another source said “through the process of elimination, senior leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary stands a very good chance of becoming national working president if Sanjay Jha is appointed as new deputy RS chairman.”
The party has recently re-elected its state president Umesh Kushwaha in ongoing organisational polls, signalling continuity of JD(U)’s Luv-Kush (Kurmi-Koeri) social base.
Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. Expertise He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More
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