Lalan Singh resigns as Janata Dal-United president ahead of 2024 polls

Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh has decided to step down as the Janata Dal (United) president with immediate effect. According Singh, a key figure in JDU's leadership, has forwarded his resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.  The report further added that Kumar has not accepted Lalan Singh's resignation. Lalan Singh was elected in 2022, for a three year term. It was for the first time,  in 18 years of JD(U)’s history that a leader from the upper caste had been given the party’s command at the national level.

The Janata Dal (United) Party will hold its national executive meeting in Delhi on December 29, with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expected to address its members amid fresh moves within the Opposition INDIA bloc to join forces to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Since its formation on October 30, 2003, the JD(U) has had three presidents, who were all from OBC community. First JD(U) president Sharad Yadav was from the Yadav community and Nitish Kumar and RCP Singh belonged to the Kurmi community in Bihar. Speaking about his political career, Singh was nominated as a member of the Bihar Legislative Council in June 2014 after his defeat in the May 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India and represented Munger Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar. He also represented Begusarai constituency in the 14th Lok Sabha of India. Lalan Singh represented the Munger constituency of Bihar and was the President of Bihar JDU when he rebelled against CM Nitish Kumar in 2010 and later continued to be an unattached member of JD(U). The party moved in Lok Sabha to demand his disqualification but the move was aborted post his rapprochement with Nitish Kumar in 2013. He was given a ticket to contest the Munger Lok Sabha seat but was defeated by Veena Devi of LJP by nearly 1 lakh votes.