JD(U) to project Nitish as prime ministerial candidate

Patna: Now it is official. The JD(U) on Sunday formally declared Bihar CM Niish Kumar, who was formally declared elected party’s national president at the party’s national council meeting at tourist place, Rajgir, 125 km away from Patna, will be projected as the PM material, according to party’s national secretary general K C Tyagi . He said Nitish is the only leader to challenge PM Narendra Modi as he is the “most dynamic” leader in the country.

Tygai told mediapersons,  ” Nitish will try to unite the non-BJP parties, both at regional and national, and will be the face of non- NDA parties.” Describing Nitish as Mahanayak, Tyagi said Bihar experiment on unity of non-BJP secular parties could not take place in Uttar Pradesh because of two big parties-Samajwadi party and Bahujan Samaj party”.

He said the BJP by alleging it as trying to harass linguistic and religious minorities across the country including at some places in Bihar last week.

Commenting on the JD(U) leaders’ decision, RJD president Lalu Prasad said,”I congratulate him on becoming JD(U)president. If his men want to make him PM, they are free.” On the first day of JD(U) national council meet, Nitish was authorised to form national executive committee, adhoc committees in  states and also amend the party constitution.

Nitish replaced Sharad Yadav as JD(U) president and hoisted the party’s flag at open session held at Ajatshatru Maidan. Agenda of the two-day meeting was set by Tyagi himself who said Nitish was definitely the PM material and only he can match PM Narendra Modi in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. His views were echoed by the state party chief Bashistha Narain Singh and party MP from Prunia Santosh Kushwaha who said only Nitish was an alternative to Narendra Modi in national politics.

JD(U)  is now no more a regional party, claimed Tygai and said it has units in 24 states. Its role in the five states going to assembly elections next year will be crucial and party would enter into electoral adjustments with local parties in these states. Nitish will be the star campaigner of the non-BJP parties, he said. JD(U) leaders coming from other parts of the country said the Bihar CM has now got recognition nationwide through his anti-liquor campaign and was admired by women in particular.

The party is expected to amend its constitution following rebellion in four states: MP, Uttarakhand, Delhi and West Bengal as their state presidents had opposed election of Nitish as party president. The four state chiefs were removed by Nitish who has been authorised to form the constitution amendment committee.