"Strive To Fight As Part Of NDA": JDU's Nishant Kumar On UP Polls

Nishant Kumar is clear: he wants his party, the JD(U), a key ally of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre and in Bihar, to strengthen and expand its reach.For this, Kumar, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, says his party will contest the Uttar Pradesh state polls due early next year as part of the NDA alliance."Our organisation has been present in several states across the country, and I have come here to strengthen and expand our organisation," he said."With the Legislative Assembly elections set to take place in 2027, we are considering entering the contest, and we will strive to contest these elections as a constituent party of the NDA," he said.Kumar, who is also the Bihar Health Minister, said his aim is to take his "father's ideology to every single person"."I would also urge our party workers to implement here (UP) the same model that my father developed and followed in Bihar over the course of 20 years," he stressed.He underscored that his party will complement the "development" model being led by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, nipping in the bud any talk of competition between the two allies."Yogi Adityanath ji himself is driving development. We stand with him, and we can fight under his leadership. I intend to carry forward my father's vision, and further strengthen the pace of development," he underlined.No formal announcement has been made regarding seat-sharing or an electoral arrangement with the BJP in the state.The JD(U) has had a limited electoral presence in UP, a key Hindi heartland state.In the 2002 Assembly elections, it contested 16 seats and won two, while in 2007 it contested 16 seats and secured one.In 2012, the party fielded candidates in 219 Assembly constituencies but failed to win any seat. It did not contest the 2017 Assembly elections.