Shrawan elected JD(U) legislature party leader

Patna: Former minister Shrawan Kumar, a close confidante of former CM Nitish Kumar, was on Tuesday elected the JD(U) legislature party leader. The development comes a day after Nitish was authorised by the party to choose the leader.A formal notification was issued by the Bihar state assembly on Tuesday. There had been speculation over Kumar’s elevation after Nitish’s son Nishant Kumar declined the offer of deputy chief minister. The party later chose Bijendra Yadav and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary for the posts, and Kumar was subsequently elected as the legislature party leader.An eight-term MLA from the Nalanda assembly constituency, Kumar has held key ministerial portfolios and has remained in the confidence of Nitish. Both leaders hail from the same district.According to reports, Kumar has been associated with Nitish since the days of the Samata Party and has played a key organisational role. He has also handled important responsibilities in the govt and often acted as a bridge between the administration and the party. Party sources indicated Kumar may be assigned a significant role in the govt during the next cabinet expansion.