Janata Dal (United)

political party in India

Key facts

Abbreviation: JD(U)
President: Nitish Kumar
Rajya sabha leader: Sanjay Kumar Jha
Lok sabha leader: Dileshwar Kamait
Founder: Sharad Yadav George Fernandes Nitish Kumar
Founded: 30 October 2003 (22 years ago) ( 30 October 2003 )
Merger of: Janata Dal (Sharad Yadav faction) Samata Party Lok Shakti
Headquarters: 7, Jantar Mantar Road, New Delhi, India-110001
Newspaper: JD(U) Sandesh
Student wing: Chhatra Janata Dal (U)
Youth wing: Yuva JD(U)
Ideology: Social democracy , Secularism

Article

Janata Dal (United) (JD(U), lit. 'People's Party (United)'), is a social democratic and secular Indian political party, rooted mainly in eastern and north-eastern India, whose stated goals are promoting social justice and lifting up marginalised people. JD(U) is recognised as a state party in the states of Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh & Manipur where they are in coalition government. JD(U), as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, won 12 seats in the 2024 Indian general election, making it the seventh largest party in the Lok Sabha.

JD(U) was formed with the merger of Sharad Yadav's faction of the Janata Dal, the Samata Party and the Lok Shakti party on 30 October 2003. The party's mentor and patron was the veteran socialist George Fernandes, successively leader of the Samyukta Socialist Party, the Socialist Party and the Samata Party. However, the Election Commission of India initially refused the merger of the latter: party president Brahmanand Mandal was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and not physically well, so Uday Mandal replaced him.