PatnaOctober 10, 2025 08:39 PM IST
First published on: Oct 10, 2025 at 08:11 PM IST
In a jolt to the JD(U), two of its leaders — former Purnea MP Santosh Kushwaha and former Ghosi MLA Rahul Sharma — and the son of Banka MP Giridhari Yadav, Chanakya Prakash Ranjan, on Friday joined the RJD in the presence of Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav. LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Ajay Kushwaha also joined the RJD at the same event.
Santosh Kushwaha, who won the Purnea Lok Sabha seat for the JD(U) twice on the trot but lost to Independent candidate Pappu Yadav last year, is likely to contest against JD(U) minister and Dhamdaha (Purnea) MLA Lesi Singh, said sources. Sharma — the son of Jagdish Sharma, a political heavyweight — may contest from the Ghosi Assembly seat of Jehanabad, while Ranjan is likely to contest from one of the seats in Banka district.
Ajay Kushwaha, who had unsuccessfully contested from the LJP (RV) in 2020 polls, is hoping to get a ticket from Vaishali or any other seat, said sources.
Their induction is being seen as part of the RJD’s strategy to win over the Kushwaha community and Bhumihars, an upper caste group, both traditionally aligned with the NDA.
Welcoming the leaders, Tejashwi called them a great value addition to the RJD. “With four of them joining us, the party will be further strengthened and our motto of social justice will be fully realised… I have been saying all along that my uncle [Chief Minister Nitish Kumar] lost his senses and the JD(U) is slowly getting fragmented. The BJP will slowly gobble it up,” said the RJD leader.
After joining the RJD, Santosh Kushwaha said, “Three leaders [Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ alias Lalan Singh, JD(U) national working president Sanjay K Jha and Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary] have captured the JD(U)… JD(U) is standing on the support of ‘Luv-Kush’ (OBCs Kurmi and Koeri), EBCs and Dalits. It is now being controlled by people with no mass base. JD(U) state chief (Umesh Kushwaha) is nothing more than a gatekeeper.”
Sharma said, “I laud Tejashwiji for assuring one job for each family in Bihar. Unemployment cuts across castes. Upper castes have been bearing the brunt of unemployment as much as other castes.”
Ajay Kushwaha, who had been in the LJP and later LJP (RV) from 2010 to 2024, said: “We need to support Tejashwi towards achieving bigger goals of social and economic justice. My erstwhile leader (Chirag Paswan) is fledgling, he sometimes criticises Nitish Kumar and sometimes kowtows before him too.”
Chankya Prakash Ranjan, who dared to join the RJD despite his father being a sitting JD(U) MP, said: “Tejashwiji is like my elder brother. I am impressed with his vision for Bihar. I want to do my bit for him.” His father Giridhari Yadav had criticised the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the state, saying voters had to suffer because of EC hurrying through the exercise.
Polling will be held for Bihar Assembly elections on November 6 and 11, and the votes will be counted on November 14.