Rajgir, Bihar: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was today formally appointed JD-U president, pushing him for a bigger role in national politics, though the party desisted from declaring him its prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Nitish's appointment as JD-U chief was ratified at the party's national council meeting in Nalanda district of Bihar.
He was the sole candidate for the post after nominations were invited last month in Delhi and was declared "elected unopposed".
National council members from 23 states unanimously supported the resolution moved by Rajya Sabha member Haribansh to appoint the Bihar Chief Minister as JD-U chief.
Nitish had taken the rein from Sharad Yadav in April.
Briefing reporters on the deliberations of the JD-U national council, the party's general secretary, KC Tyagi, said Nitish was authorised to explore the option of forging "a strong alternative" of non-BJP parties nationally to defeat the "communal forces", the way he did it in Bihar.
Mr Tyagi, accompanied by two senior Bihar ministers, Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan, said Nitish was the "most credible face" among a larger section of the people who saw him "with a hope to defeat the BJP and the RSS".
He, however, made it clear that the JD-U had "never declared" that Nitish would be the prime ministerial candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
"Although he is PM material with secularist, non-dynastic and non-casteist credentials, being a small party, the JD(U) has never officially declared him the prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 polls," Mr Tyagi said.
Nitish's appointment as JD-U chief was ratified at the party's national council meeting in Nalanda district of Bihar.
He was the sole candidate for the post after nominations were invited last month in Delhi and was declared "elected unopposed".
Nitish had taken the rein from Sharad Yadav in April.
Advertisement
Mr Tyagi, accompanied by two senior Bihar ministers, Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan, said Nitish was the "most credible face" among a larger section of the people who saw him "with a hope to defeat the BJP and the RSS".
Advertisement
"Although he is PM material with secularist, non-dynastic and non-casteist credentials, being a small party, the JD(U) has never officially declared him the prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 polls," Mr Tyagi said.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"Lok Sabha Elections In J&K Triumph Of Ballot Over Bullet": Poll Body Chief "Fear Of Nitish Kumar On BJP Government Is Such...": Prashant Kishor Prashant Kishor's "Wasted Opportunities" Swipe At Nitish Kumar What Murdered Doctor's Father Said About A Torn Page From Her Diary Malala Yousafzai's Post On Taliban After Attending Taylor Swift Concert Student Arrested For Controversial Post On Mamata Banerjee Zomato Calls Blinkit "Adopted Sis". Gets A Cheeky Response Priyanka Gandhi's Heartfelt Rakhi Wish For Brother Rahul Gandhi What Autopsy Report Of Kolkata Doctor Says About Injuries She Suffered Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.