The JDU on Sunday tasked new members of its reconstituted state executive committee with spreading chief minister Nitish Kumar's saat nischay or seven-point agenda.

Barely two months after the Grand Alliance's thumping victory in the Assembly polls,

The JDU has 166 members, many of them new faces, in its new committee. Other members comprise chief minister Nitish Kumar, senior ministers and MLAs.

Announcing the new state executive body, JDU state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh said: "The new executive body has been formed to strengthen the party. It will launch a membership drive."

The new executive is smaller than the previous body, as the party has made presidents for only seven cells, namely minority, farmer, youth, traders, women, SC/ST and EBC.

Singh said: "The party has decided to shortlist its executive body so that it functions smoothly." The list announced on Sunday also included names of 51 district presidents. The state executive will function for the period till fresh organisational polls are held.

Former Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary, who lost the Assembly polls to former chief minister and old friend-turned-foe Jitan Ram Manjhi from Imamganj (SC) seat, has been made the new vice-president of the party.

Chaudhary (64), who had won six Assembly elections from Imamganj in Gaya district, was also the JDU Lok Sabha candidate from Jamui in the 2014 general election but there too he had suffered defeat against Chirag Paswan, the son of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan. The JDU leaders, who have been given the task of party vice-presidents include former education minister P.K. Shahi, former minister Damodar Raut, Manoj Kushwaha and others. While party MLC Shahi, who has not been accommodated in the Nitish cabinet this time, Raut, who was minister in the same, lost the election from Jhajha seat in November. There are 11 state vice-presidents. Other MLAs and ministers in the earlier Nitish cabinet are Lesi Singh, the erstwhile minister for social welfare, who has been made a general secretary.

Similarly, Ranju Geeta, who was sugarcane minister, has also been accommodated in the list of general secretaries. Manjit Singh, the former MLA from Baikunthpur in Gopalganj district, who lost the election, has been accommodated in the list.

The JDU added two more names to its list of five spokespersons, who defend the party stand before the media. JDU MLC Sanjay Singh, who leads the race in attacking the BJP, especially former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, has been made the main spokesperson.

MLC Niraj Kumar, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls against strongman Anant Singh from Mokama, will share the responsibility of party spokesperson along with Rajiv Ranjan Prasad and Dr Ajay Alok. The two new spokespersons are Bharti Mehta and Nikhil Mandal. JDU MLC Ranvir Nandan will be the party treasurer.