JD(U) president Lalan Singh rejects resignation rumours ahead of Delhi meeting

Janata Dal (United) president Lalan Singh said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is the leader of the party and that the party is united

Janata Dal (United) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh on Thursday rebutted swirling rumours that he was going to step down from the party’s top post at the national executive meeting in Delhi tomorrow and reaffirmed that Nitish Kumar was the leader of the party and that the party was united.

Janata Dal (United) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh. (File)

Nitish Kumar held a quick meeting with JD(U) national president Lalan Singh at his New Delhi residence after reaching the national capital on Thursday afternoon and later arrived together at the party’s office to attend its office-bearers meeting.

Hours earlier, Singh was emphatic that the rumours about his future and his differences with Nitish Kumar were being spread at the BJP’s instance. “If I have to resign, I will call you (media persons), and consult you about what to write in the resignation letter so that you can go to the BJP office and get the draft,” Singh said sarcastically.

“Nitish Kumar is the leader of our party. Janata Dal (United) is united and it will remain the same. If I have to resign, I will consult you,” he said.

But the unequivocal statements by Lalan Singh and other party leaders did not put out the rumours about Lalan Singh’s possible exit at the party’s national executive and national council meetings on Friday.

To be sure, Kumar told reporters in Patna earlier in the day that the national executive and the national council scheduled for Friday were routine exercises. “These meetings take place every year. It’s normal…there is nothing specific at all. These are routine meetings”, the chief minister said.

After Thursday’s officer-bearers meeting in Delhi, party’s chief spokesperson K C Tyagi said that no resignation issue came for discussion. “As anticipated, no resignation took place. On Friday, different issues including political resolutions would come for discussion,” said Tyagi.

Senior JD (U) minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said that national executive and council would be discussing strategy for 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 assembly polls. “The party would also discuss organisational issues as well,” he said.

However, people familiar with the matter in the party maintained that a change in the top could take place during the national executive and national council meeting on Friday.

“Lalan Singh has to contest Lok Sabha polls and perhaps that is why he wants to free himself. Although this would be decided in the meeting of the national council,” said a JD (U) MLA.