The JD(U) on Sunday lauded its national president Nitish Kumar for "setting an example of smooth power transition" in Bihar and asserted that it now saw its "future" in the former chief minister's son Nishant. This was revealed at a press conference addressed by JD(U) national spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad after the meeting of the party's national council, which followed the state council meeting held earlier in the day.
Prasad said that the national council ratified the re-election of Kumar as national president, in organisational polls held earlier this year, and also "authorised" him to set up a trust for managing "movable and immovable assets of the party".
"The party was unanimous in its praise for Nitish Kumar, who has set an example of smooth power transition in Bihar. His relinquishing the post of CM was an instance of political probity and credibility", said the JD(U) spokesman.
Notably, Kumar, who had been the state's longest-serving chief minister, announced the decision to step down in March, days after celebrating his 75th birthday, and gave up the post a month later, after getting elected to the Rajya Sabha.
The JD(U) supremo, whose move was initially viewed with consternation by party colleagues, received a rousing welcome upon arrival for the meeting, in what was seen as a sense of renewed hope among the cadres, who were excited at Nishant's entry into active politics.
Prasad also quoted a statement given by Sanjay Kumar Jha, the JD(U)'s working president, who saw in the 44-year-old heir apparent "our future for the next three to four decades".
Earlier, senior party leader and Bihar minister Sunil Kumar had told reporters that the state council had passed a resolution that sought a "bigger role in the party for Nishant", who holds the Health portfolio in the Samrat Choudhary government.
Prasad added that the party was of the view that Choudhary, the first BJP leader to head a government in Bihar, was taking forward the work done by Kumar during his two-decade tenure, and the NDA was a symbol of "full cooperation".
"Nitish Kumar made way for power transition months after the assembly polls in which the JD(U) won 85 seats with its best ever strike rate", Prasad pointed out, adding that the party had its support base intact, drawing most of its MLAs from among the OBCs and the EBCs and the number of its primary members "exceeding one crore".
"There were also resolutions that stressed on the need for further strengthening the organisation by holding workshops where workers were taught about JD(U)'s ideology and the work done by Nitish Kumar. The party has decided to expand its social media presence and, to this end, young talent will be encouraged to associate with the party", said the spokesman.
According to Prasad, other political resolutions spoke of the Centre's "laudable handling of the crisis in West Asia, which thankfully seems to be coming to an end with the agreement between Iran and the US.
The Union government, in which the JD(U) is also a partner, was praised for "bilaterally resolving the border issues with Nepal".
Replying to a query, the JD(U) spokesman dismissed suggestions that the recent encounter killing of a mentally unstable person in Bhojpur district was proof that the BJP had given up on Nitish Kumar's principle of "development with justice".
He said, "The killing of Bharat Thakur has shocked everyone. The sentiment is shared by the government in the state, a reason why it has ordered a judicial inquiry".
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