Sanjay Kumar Jha has been made the working president of JDU.
After 12 years of quitting the BJP, Sanjay Kumar Jha has officially become the number-two leader in the Janata Dal United. On Saturday, Nitish Kumar appointed him as the working president of JDU in the national executive meeting. This is the first time in the history of the party that a person has been made the working president.
Jha, who started his political career with the BJP in 2004, joined the JDU in 2012. Within the JDU, Jha is known as a leader who prepares the election strategy. A resident of Madhubani district in Bihar, Jha has done his MA from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
How powerful is the post of working president in JDU?
For the first time in the history of Janata Dal United, a leader has been made the acting president. There is no mention of this post in the constitutional framework of the party. According to JDU chief spokesperson KC Tyagi, the national president has the right to make any appointment within the party. Under this authority, Nitish Kumar has made Sanjay Kumar Jha the acting chairman.
According to JDU-affiliated leaders, Sanjay Kumar Jha will do the job of President, but his powers have been reduced. Behind this is the strategy of attracting big leaders. Many senior JHA leaders are working in the JDU, who want to report only to Nitish Kumar.
After becoming the working president, Sanjay Kumar Jha told reporters that my effort is to expand the party outside Bihar, so that the JDU can get the status of a national party.
Now the fourth story of Sanjay Kumar Jha
1. Entry in 2004, became MLC in 2006
Sanjay Kumar Jha, who studied from JNU, Delhi, entered active politics in 2004. At that time he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2006, the BJP nominated him to the Bihar Legislative Council. Jha held the position till 2012.
When Jha’s term ended in 2012, he switched parties. In July 2012, he left BJP and joined Janata Dal United. Interestingly, there was an alliance between the two parties in Bihar at that time. At the time of Jha’s entry, the BJP had vehemently opposed it.
2. Took over blog management, lost election
Sanjay Kumar Jha came in contact with Nitish Kumar when he was a minister at the Centre. However, the two came close around 2010. He started blogging when Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister of Bihar for the second time. This blog was called Nitish Bolo.
According to JDU sources, only Sanjay Kumar Jha was looking after the whole arrangement at that time.
In 2014, Nitish Kumar fielded Sanjay Kumar Jha as a candidate from Darbhanga. However, Jha’s security deposit was confiscated in this election. He got only 12.6 percent votes. BJP’s Kirti Azad won in this election. RJD’s Fatmi was second.
3. Became a minister, gave important victory to JDU in Bihar elections
In 2019, Sanjay Kumar Jha was made a minister in the Bihar government. He was given the responsibility of Water Resources Department. In the 2020 elections, Jha was in charge of Mithilanchal constituencies, where the JDU won big.
Jha also prepared a strategy for JDU’s technology and social media in the elections held during the Corona period. There was talk of making Sanjay Jha the state president after the elections in Bihar, but in the end the responsibility was given to Umesh Kushwaha.
After this, Jha was made the National General Secretary in the organization of JDU. Jha was the only leader who held positions in both the organization and the government.
4. Played a major role in breaking up the grand coalition in 2017-22
In 2017, Nitish Kumar broke alliance with RJD and joined NDA. Sanjay Kumar Jha was instrumental in bringing Nitish with the BJP. In political circles, Sanjay Kumar Jha is also known as the link between BJP and JDU.
Even in 2024, Sanjay Kumar Jha played a major role in bringing Nitish Kumar with the BJP. Sanjay also got an award for this. Nitish Kumar first sent him to the Rajya Sabha and has now made him the acting chairman.
Why did Sanjay Jha get the responsibility of acting chairman?
1. Assembly elections are to be held in Bihar next year. Jha has played a major role in getting Nitish Kumar with the BJP. Jha becoming the working president will help the party resolve seat sharing and other disputes easily.
2. Jha comes from the Mithila Chanal region, which has a significant population of Brahmins. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, BJP and JDU have made a clean sweep in Mithilanchal constituency. JDU is trying to further increase its support through Jha.
3. Nitish Kumar currently has only 2 big faces. One of them was named Lalan Singh and the other Sanjay Jha. Lalan Singh has become a minister at the Centre. In such a situation, Nitish has also worked to balance power by making Jha the acting chairman.
