JD(U), LJP leaders join RJD as Bihar election heats up

Patna, Oct 10 (PTI) Former JD(U) lawmakers Santosh Kushwaha and Rahul Sharma on Friday joined the opposition RJD ahead of next month's Bihar assembly elections.

JD(U)'s Banka MP Girdhari Prasad Yadav’s son Chanaykya Prasad Ranjan and Lok Janshakti Party leader Ajay Kushwaha also joined the RJD in the presence of party leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Welcoming the new entrants, Yadav said, "The RJD family welcomes Santosh Kushwaha, Rahul Sharma, Ajay Kushwaha and Chanaykya Prasad Ranjan. The party will be strengthened after their joining." He alleged that people were disillusioned with the ruling NDA in Bihar. "The CM is not in his senses. His government will be thrown out by the people in the assembly polls," he said.

Santosh Kushwaha had won the Purnea Lok Sabha seat for the JD(U) twice on the trot, but lost to Independent candidate Pappu Yadav last year.

His Lok Sabha debut in 2014 had taken many by surprise as he quit the BJP, giving up the Baisi assembly seat and rode against the "Modi wave", bagging for the JD(U) one of the only two seats for the party of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was shattered by the drubbing and stepped down, owning moral responsibility, only to return less than a year later.

Sharma is a former MLA from Ghosi in Jehanabad district and the son of Jagdish Sharma, a political heavyweight from the area. He had won the seat for a record eight terms, as an Independent as well as on tickets of Janata Party, BJP and JD(U).

Ajay Kushwaha and Chanaykya Prasad Ranjan's induction is being seen as part of the RJD's strategy to win over the Kushwaha community, and Bhumihars, a powerful upper caste group -- both traditionally aligned with the NDA.

It may be recalled that JD(U)’s Banka MP had opposed the recently conducted Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls exercise by the Election Commission for which he was served show-cause notice by the party.

Ajay Kushwaha had contested 2020 assembly polls from Vaishali on a LJP ticket but was defeated by JD(U)'s Siddarth Patel.

Their induction is being seen as part of the RJD's strategy to win over the Kushwaha community, and Bhumihars, a powerful upper caste group -- both traditionally aligned with the NDA.

Polling will be held for the assembly elections on November 6 and 11, while the votes will be counted on November 14. PTI NAC PKD SOM MNB