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In latest blow to LJP, its lone MLC in Bihar joins BJP
MLC Nutan Singh became the latest LJP leader to jump ship.
The severely marginalized Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Chirag Paswam took another hit on Monday when its lone member of legislative council (MLC) Nutan Singh, joined the ruling BJP.
Singh is the latest LJP leader to jump ship. Last week, more than 200 LJP functionaries, including its state secretary Keshav Singh, had joined the JD(U). Rameshwar Chaurasia, a former MLA and a prominent BJP face who had joined Paswan’s party just ahead of the 2020 Assembly elections, also quit the party last week.
Nutan Singh’s husband Neeraj Singh, of the BJP, was recently made a minister. “I joined BJP so that both of us can work jointly,” Nutan Singh said after joining the party in the presence of its state president and Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Jaiswal.
After Nutan Singh’s switch, LJP has no member in the 75-member legislative council.
Its lone MLA Raj Kumar Singh has fuelled speculation of joining the JD (U) after a meeting with chief minister Nitish Kumar.
The JD (U) has 23 members in the legislative council, followed by the BJP (21). Two other NDA partners, HAM(S) and VIP have one member each. The opposition RJD has 6 members, Congress 4 and the CPI 2. There is one Independent MLC while 16 seats are lying vacant.
Ties between the JD (U) and the LJP hit a low after Paswan’s party fielded candidates against JD (U) in the last Assembly elections and damaged the latter’s prospects.
JD (U) general secretary K C Tyagi had said, “We do not consider it (LJP) as a part of the NDA.”
Commenting on the latest development, HAM(S) spokesperson Danish Rizwan said Chirag Paswan’s aspirations at the cost of party has put his own house on fire.
With MLC Nutal singh leaving his party and joining the BJP, how can he believe that he has an alliance with the BJP?” he said.
