Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | Shot in arm for Tejashwi as three JD(U) leaders join RJD

A Lok Janshakti Party leader also switches allegiance to Rashtriya Janata Dal

Patna: Even as the notification was issued on Friday for the first phase of elections to 121 seats out of the 243 in the Bihar Assembly, Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav got a shot in the arm when three influential JD(U) leaders deserted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's camp and joined the RJD in the presence of party supremo Lalu Prasad.

Former JD(U) MP from Purnia Santosh Kushwaha, who met Lalu Prasad before joining the RJD, said, “The JD(U) under Nitish Kumar is no longer the same as it used to be. It has become directionless and rudderless.”

Others who joined the RJD on Friday include former MLA Rahul Sharma, Ajay Kushwaha (LJP-R) and Chanakya Prakash.

“Nitish is no longer functioning as the Chief Minister. It’s the select people from the BJP in New Delhi who are governing Bihar through remote, with a systematic design to finish off Nitish, who is playing his last innings as the Chief Minister,” said Tejashwi Yadav while welcoming the new entrants into the party fold.

Santosh Kushwaha is likely to be the RJD candidate for the Dhamdaha Assembly seat, which is represented by JD(U) Minister Lesi Singh. Sharma could be the RJD nominee for Ghosi, a seat from where the CPI(ML) has its incumbent MLA Rambali Singh Yadav and is not willing to give up its seat to the RJD.

Election bubble: JD(U)

Meanwhile, the JD(U) has slammed Tejashwi for promising the moon in the name of giving government jobs to each and every family in Bihar. “It’s an election bubble,” said Nitish Kumar’s key aide and senior Minister Ashok Choudhary.

He dwelt at length on how Bihar, after the recent caste survey, had 13 crore population, with 2.75 crore families. “Altogether, there are 22 lakh government jobs in the State. How can one give jobs to the remaining over 2.5 crore families is beyond comprehension,” wondered Choudhary, who is Rural Works Minister.