Patna: Days after being elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha, CM Nitish Kumar is all set to be ‘unanimously elected’ as the JD(U) national president for a record fifth time.Insiders in the JD(U) said Nitish will formally file nomination papers for the post of the party’s national president on Thursday. “Most probably, Nitish will be only person who will file nomination for the post of the national president. As Nitish would be the only candidate for the post, he would be declared ‘elected unopposed’ on March 24, the last date for withdrawal of the candidature,” a senior JD(U) leader told TOI on Wednesday.Sources said the nomination papers would be filed before the party’s national election officer Aneel Hegde at the JD(U) headquarters in New Delhi. “However, Nitish will not personally file the nomination papers. Some senior JD(U) leaders from Bihar will go to New Delhi on Thursday and submit nomination papers before the party’s national election officer on behalf of Nitish,” they said.As per the election schedule released by the party, nomination papers for the election of the JD(U) national president can be filed till March 22. “Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on March 23, while March 24 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature. If more than one person remain in the contest after withdrawal of the candidature, the polling will be held on March 27,” JD(U) national general secretary Afaque Ahmad Khan said while releasing the election schedule a few days ago.Earlier on Dec 29, 2023, Nitish was unanimously nominated as the national president at the party’s national executive meeting held in Delhi, replacing Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh. His nomination was ratified at the party’s national council meeting on the same day. He was made the party president for the fourth time in Dec 2023.Nitish was first nominated as the national president on April 10, 2016, after Sharad Yadav declined a fourth term. His nomination was formally ratified at the party’s national council meeting in Rajgir on Oct 16, 2016.Nitish was re-elected unopposed for a fresh three-year term on Oct 6, 2019. However, he stepped down in Dec 2020, passing the mantle to then national general secretary R C P Singh to focus on his role as CM after the 2020 assembly elections. Nitish returned to the party post on Dec 29, 2023, following the resignation of the then-incumbent, Lalan Singh
