JD(U) leaders ask Nitish Kumar to finalise party leadership in Parliament: Report

After the Janata Dal (United) Parliamentary Board meeting at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s residence today morning, party leaders asked Kumar to the responsibility of choosing the party’s leadership in the Parliament. Party leaders said that Kumar will discuss government formation, ministries with BJP and other allies at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting at the Parliament.

“JD(U) leaders have decided that Nitish Kumar would choose the leader of the party. A unanimous decision has been taken that JD(U) will wholeheartedly support the NDA. No discussion on ministries took place in the meeting. Other details will be discussed in the NDA meeting,” JD(U) MP Alok Kumar Suman told the Indian Express.

Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar said he will with the NDA and back Narendra Modi for Prime Minister - for a third term. Taking a jibe at the INDIA bloc, Kumar said the alliance "has not done any work for the country". He added that he will be with PM at all times. Political critics have been speculating a U-turn from Kumar, which would be his sixth in a decade.

On June 7, the newly elected MPs of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously passed a resolution making Narendra Modi their parliamentary party leader, and also endorsed him as Prime Minister during a meeting at Parliament Central Hall. 

The JDU leader emerged as one of two kingmakers after the Lok Sabha election. JD(U)'s 12 MPs and 16 MPs from Chandrababu Naidu's TDP are crucial for the BJP to form and run the government after it failed to cross the majority mark of 272 on its own in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elec; the BJP has only 240 seats.

The rest of the NDA has only 25 seats - not enough to carry the BJP past the finishing line. 

On Thursday, it was reported  Kumar was expected to bargain hard and seek more ministerial berths, central funds, early assembly polls, and special status for Bihar. Kumar is reportedly bargaining for four to five Cabinet berths. Before the election results, the JD(U) was promised at least three Cabinet berths and one minister of state (MOS).

Kumar is believed to be favouring early assembly polls to take advantage of the conducive environment towards the JD(U) and NDA, which got 30 of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats.