Ahead of Bihar polls, ex-JDU MP, 3 others join RJD

PATNA: Less than a month ahead of polling for Bihar assembly elections, three functionaries from JDU and one from the LJP (Ram Vilas), including former Purnia MP Santosh Kumar Kushwaha, joined the RJD on Friday, report Manoj Chaurasia.

Kushwaha was among the few netas credited with reviving JDU's presence in Seemanchal region of the state. He joined RJD along with former JDU MLA from Ghosi, Rahul Sharma, JDU functionary Chanakya Prakash Ranjan and former LJP (RV) candidate Ajay Kushwaha, in the presence of Tejashwi Yadav , LoP in the Bihar assembly.

Chanakya is the son of Giridhari Yadav, the sitting JDU MP from Banka. "JDU is currently being led by a group of three netas who want to finish Nitish Kumar . Netas from the backward and extremely backward classes were getting sidelined," Kushwaha said. He is expected to contest from Dhamdaha seat. He said JDU faces an existential crisis as the EBC community, traditionally its support base, feels disenchanted. For RJD, Kushwaha's induction could be a move to consolidate the influential Kushwaha voter base, a crucial factor in Seemanchal's electoral calculations.

Former MLA Sharma said he said joined the RJD, impressed by Tejashwi's promise of a government job for each family.

Tejashwi said, "JDU is fast losing relevance. The party is being run by two BJP netas from Delhi. Nitishji came to us in August 2022, alarmed at 'Operation Lotus' in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, and we lent our strong support. Now he has been hijacked."