Nitish Kumar JDU candidate Bihar election 2025

Janata Dal (United) (JDU)

Birth Year:1951
Description:Nitish Kumar, the leader of the Janata Dal (United) or JDU, holds the record for being the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar. A socialist leader who emerged from Jayaprakash Narayan's movement in the mid-1970s, Kumar began his political career with the Janata Party and Janata Dal. He later formed the Samata Party and became a key part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by allying with the BJP. Nitish Kumar first became CM for a brief eight-day term in 2000. He took office again in 2005, and his subsequent tenure saw significant improvements in development and infrastructure in Bihar, which boosted his popularity. He broke ties with the BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha election and, following the party's bad performance in the LS polls, resigned as CM on moral grounds. After a short period with Jitan Ram Manjhi as CM, Nitish Kumar returned to the post. In 2015, he formed a Grand Alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, winning the election. However, he later switched his allegiance back to the BJP. After winning the 2020 elections with the BJP in the NDA, he once again aligned with Lalu Yadav in 2022. By 2024, he had rejoined the NDA. Despite these frequent shifts in alliances, Nitish Kumar has remained an influential figure in Bihar's politics. Some of his policies, such as the ban on alcohol, have earned him strong support, particularly among women.