Sole BSP MLA Md Jama Khan set to join JD(U) in Bihar

Within a week, soon when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) projected Shahnawaz Hussain as a nominee, the Janata Dal–United (JD-U) too is all set to welcome the lone Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Md Jama Khan to the party fold.

Khan won from the Chainpur Assembly seat on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket in the 2020 assembly elections and is all set to join JD-U soon.

“Yes, I am going to meet Bihar CM Nitish Kumarji this evening,” the BSP MLA said adding, “I do feel I can fulfill promises made to people during elections by joining the government.”

Talking to HT over the phone, Khan said, “You can translate your words into action fully if you are in the ruling party and I see nothing wrong in joining the ruling party for the sake of the people.” He is likely to get a ministerial berth in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet.

Khan surprised everyone by defeating veteran BJP leader and minister Brij Kishor Bind by a margin of over 24,000 votes in the last assembly polls. He had unsuccessfully contested the seat on a Congress ticket in 2010 and lost to BJP leader Brij Kishor Bind by a small margin of 674 votes in 2015.

An alumni of BHU, the BSP leader is known for his deep insight into UP politics and JD-U is all set to enter into the political arena in UP in the next assembly elections.

Just before the 2020 assembly polls BSP’s Bihar president Bharat Bind had switched over to RJD and later won the Bhabua seat on a RJD ticket.

“This is the second blow to BSP in Bihar in quick succession and now BSP has to reconsider its strategy in Bihar,” political observer Amitesh Tiwari said.

He added, “JD-U can’t miss the opportunity as the party wants to take revenge for Arunachal Pradesh where JD-U MLAs had switched over to BJP,” a political observer said.

Both of NDA’s allies—the BJP and JD-U have wooed Muslim leaders in Bihar politics to show their interest in minorities.