After Nitish Kumar, who? JDU holds organisational polls amid turmoil

JD(U)'s internal polls come a day after Nitish Kumar filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha, a move that marks a major shift in Bihar politics and leaves a power void in his party.

The Janata Dal (United) began organisational elections on Friday, even as the party grappled with internal turmoil following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to head to Parliament.

Umesh Singh Kushwaha, the incumbent Bihar chief and an MLA from the Mahnar Assembly constituency, was the only candidate to file nomination papers for the post of state unit president. All signs point to his being re-elected unopposed.

The two-day internal polls come in the wake of JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar filing his nomination for the Rajya Sabha, marking a seismic shift in Bihar politics and bringing the curtain down on his tenure as the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister.

Kumar announced his decision through a post on X, catching many JD(U) workers off guard and triggering protests within the party ranks.

At the JD(U) state office in Patna, located across the road from the BJP’s state headquarters, angry party workers continue to stage protests on Friday. Some accused senior leaders of conspiring with the BJP to edge Nitish Kumar out of Bihar politics.

Protesters alleged that “traitors” within the party had worked with the BJP to sideline Kumar, who they said had become an “eyesore” for the powerful liquor lobby after introducing prohibition in the state.