JD(U) plans to contest next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections

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JD(U) National President Nitish Kumar. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Ruling NDA coalition partner in Bihar Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) said it would contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections next year and the party was preparing to field candidates in 60 seats, particularly in Purvanchal areas, close to the Bihar border, where Kurmi and Kushwaha votes were in sizeable numbers. The party will hold its workers’ meeting in Varanasi on October 25 in which top leaders from Bihar are likely to be present.

“The party will contest the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and it will hold its workers’ meeting at Varanasi on October 25. Party’s national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Uttar Pradesh in-charge Shrawan Kumar and Nishant Kumar, son of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary are likely to be present at the meeting”, said senior leader and JD(U) MLC in Bihar Sanjay Gandhi alias Sanjay Kumar Singh.

Mr. Gandhi is considered trusted confidant of party president Mr. Nitish Kumar and he manages key organisational tasks and party coordination works.

Asked whether the JD(U) had decided to contest in 60 seats in the Purvanchal area of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Gandhi said, “it is up to the NDA’s top leadership to decide in coalition politics but, the party will contest in those seats of Uttar Pradesh which are close to Bihar border”. Other party leaders in the State said the JD(U) would like to filed its candidates in Uttar Pradesh elections in seats where Other Backward Class (OBC) Kurmi and Kushwaha castes hold sizeable numbers. Mr. Nitish Kumar belongs to the Kurmi caste while the current Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary comes from the Kushwaha caste.

JD(U) spokesperson in Uttar Pradesh Kunwar Ajay Singh told media persons on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) that the party leaders would discuss how to strengthen the party organisation in view of the Assembly elections next year. The party would like to electorally cash in on the popularity of Mr. Nitish Kumar in Purvanchal areas.

“The party is in the process of scouting for alliance partners in Uttar Pradesh elections…nothing has been finalised yet but, we are preparing to contest in 60 seats”, added Mr. Singh.  Other party leaders in Bihar said the JD(U) had been in favour of having an alliance with the BJP-led NDA but “one has to wait” till the final announcement was made.

In the 2022 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the JD(U) contested in 26 seats but won none. The party had secured only about 0.11% of the total vote share.

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