 "image")
What is Janata Dal (United)?
Janata Dal (United), abbreviated as JD(U), is a regional political party in India with a significant presence mainly in eastern and north-eastern India. It is recognised as a state party in Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur and is part of the government in Bihar. In 2019 general election, the JD(U) won 16 seats and became the seventh largest party in the Lok Sabha.
JD(U) was formed in 2003 through a merger of three political parties, the Samata Party, the Lok Shakti Party, and the Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal. The party was formed with the goal of providing an alternative to the incumbent government and promoting secularism. The Janata Dal (United) was formed with the goal of promoting secularism and social justice.
The party's first president was George Fernandes, who was succeeded by Sharad Yadav in 2006. The party's first electoral success came in 2005, when it won the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and formed a government in Bihar with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The alliance between the JD(U) and the BJP was successful in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, with the two parties winning 32 out of the 40 seats in Bihar. However, the alliance between the two parties started to break down in 2013, when the BJP announced Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The JD(U) opposed Modi's candidacy, citing his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and broke its alliance with the BJP in Bihar. The party also withdrew from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which was led by the BJP.
The party's first president was George Fernandes, who was succeeded by Sharad Yadav in 2006. The party's first electoral success came in 2005, when it won the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and formed a government in Bihar with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The alliance between the JD(U) and the BJP was successful in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, with the two parties winning 32 out of the 40 seats in Bihar. However, the alliance between the two parties started to break down in 2013, when the BJP announced Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The JD(U) opposed Modi's candidacy, citing his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and broke its alliance with the BJP in Bihar. The party also withdrew from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which was led by the BJP.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(U) was only able to win two seats in Bihar, while the BJP was able to win 22 seats. In the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, the JD(U) formed an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Indian National Congress (INC) to fight the BJP. The alliance was successful, with the JD(U)-RJD-Congress coalition winning 178 out of the 243 seats in the assembly.
Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the fifth time. In 2017, Nitish Kumar ended the alliance with the RJD and formed a new government with the BJP.
This move was criticized by some members of the JD(U), including Sharad Yadav, who opposed the alliance with the BJP. Yadav was subsequently removed from the party by Nitish Kumar. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(U) contested 17 seats in Bihar and won 16 of them. The party contested the elections in alliance with the BJP and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).
In the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, the JD(U) contested in alliance with the BJP and other smaller parties. The alliance was successful, with the NDA winning 125 out of the 243 seats in the assembly.