The JD(U)'s national executive, convened on Saturday, adopted a resolution calling for either a special category status or a special package to be granted to Bihar.
During the meeting, the party appointed Sanjay Jha, its Rajya Sabha leader, as the new working president of JD(U). It was also decided that JD(U) will remain with the NDA.
The decision to appoint Jha as working president is significant since he is known to have a good equation with the BJP leadership. Party sources said Jha was well-suited to draw a good deal from the BJP and maintain a friendly relationship between the two parties, which have a history of bumpy ties. Following his appointment, Jha told news agency PTI that Prime Minister Narendra Modi always paid attention to Bihar and expressed hope that the party's demand for special category status or a package for the state would be met.
Additionally, the executive put forth a demand for stringent legislation aimed at combating paper leaks, specifically highlighting the need for strong measures following the NEET-UG paper leak.
The call for a "special category" status for Bihar has been a persistent demand of the Nitish Kumar-led party, gaining prominence since the Bihar CM joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) earlier this year.
A spokesperson for the party said to the media that they intend to approach the Supreme Court regarding the recent decision by the Patna High Court to invalidate two key reservation acts in Bihar. The High Court had overturned the Bihar Reservation (for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes) (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Bihar (in admission in educational institutions) Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023. These acts had raised the reservation quota from 50 per cent to 65 per cent.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)