Defections rain in Bihar before polls: MLAs expelled from RJD joined JDU after Shyam Rajak

New Delhi: Ahead of the assembly polls, the defection season has begun in Bihar. A day after being expelled from the ruling Janata Dal (United), Bihar’s former industry minister Shyam Rajak joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) at the residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi in Patna on Monday.

Meanwhile, two of the three MLAs who were expelled from RJD on Sunday joined JDU, a few hours after Rajak’s entry into the opposition party. The third MLA, Faraz Fatmi, is also expected to join JDU. His father and former Union minister AA Fatmi had joined JDU in July last year.

MLAs Maheshwar Yadav and Prema Choudhari joined JDU along with Sasaram MLA Ashok Kushwaha, who left RJD to join the ruling party. Former minister Rajak criticised Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on various issues, including “worsening” law and order situation in the state.


“I will continue my fight for social justice,” Rajak told reporters soon after joining RJD in the presence of leader of opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav and RJD state unit chief Jagadanand Singh.

Yadav, Choudhari and Kushwaha said they decided to join JDU because they were impressed by Kumar’s development agenda. State energy minister Bijendra Yadav and public relations and information minister Neeraj Kumar welcomed the three MLAs into the party fold.