Patna — The one-day orientation programme of the Janata Dal (United) - the first by the party - was inaugurated by party president and Rajya Sabha member Nitish Kumar at the JD(U) state headquarters on Friday to sensitise the people's representatives about the legislative procedures, the success of state's inclusive growth model and their role.

The presence of health minister Nishant Kumar on the dais with his father Nitish Kunar, party working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha, deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary, ministers Shrawan Kumar and Zama Khan gave a clear message about his growing role in the party affairs, which many party leaders backed.

It was, perhaps, the first time Nishant shared dais with Nitish in a big party function to send the message across that the political heir was ready and in the coming months, his role might increase. Nitish Kumar left the function after half an hour to leave it to his son and senior party leaders.

In his address, Nishant dearly said the party would move ahead on the lines of Nitish Kumar and the leaders should focus on the implementation of '7 Resolves - 3° on the ground for the larger good of society.

Without dwelling on the contentious issues, he emphasised the importance of 'Nitish agenda' to let people draw their own inference on the party's stand on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) or other issues, including the pressure of coalition politics as a junKumar,

inaugurates an orientatic jor partner.

JD(U) working national president Sanjay Jha said the PRS Legislative Research provided information on the changes in Bihar, particularly in terms of financial sustainability, and explained how Bihar's revenue receipts increased through the budgeting process and how Bihar complied with the FRBM Act to script the path of progress.

"Our leader Nitish Kumar has transformed the work culture of Bihar's politics through his actions and vision and brought about sanity. Before him, Bihar had also witnessed an era when politics was reduced to 'oiling and wielding sticks'. For him. politics meant accountability, good governance, and development. Under his leadership, the party has always strived to lead by example and Nishant also emphasised the importance of Nitish legacy," he added.

Jha said in the Jast assembly

n programme for party leaders in Patna, Friday. SANTOSH KUMAR/HT elections, a good number of — against him and Lalan Singh in highly educated and young — the past. Neeraj Kumar also MLAs won on party ticket and retorted, saying Nitish Kumar's the 'orientation programme' work and his supporters would would be mainly usefulforthem. give him another victory.

"It will sensitise them not only The meeting also did not about the legislative procedures, _ revolve around the JD(U) workbut also about the strides Bihar ing president's proposal to has taken in different fields." he replace the letter 'U" (united) in added, ID(U) with 'N (Nitish) to make it

The absence of Union minis- — JD(N), but many leaders like Lesi ter Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan | Singh, Zama Khan, Neeraj Singh, Mokama MLA Anant Kumar and others backed it. Singh and a few others also drew "The timing of the orientation attention, pointing to power programme when there is no Struggle within the party, though session of the legislature schedsenior party leaders played it —_uled did raise a lot of questions if down feigning ignorance. everything was alright in the

Away from the event, Anant — JD{U) and if the party was in any Singh and MLC Neeraj Kumar hurry toestablish Nishant in the intensified the war of words _ face of growing assertiveness of between them ahead of the Vidthe BJP and offers from the RJD han Parishad election for eight and the Congress to walk out of seats. Singh, who has said that the NDA. Buta feeble Nitish may he would back Anuj Kumarand not go that far where things not Neeraj Kumar, again reitercould get difficult for his son as ated his stand, accusing the — well as his party," said political JD(U) candidate of working analyst NK Choudhary.