Why Did Two Rebel MLAs from the INDIA Bloc Switch to BJP Ahead of Bihar Assembly Polls?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Two rebel MLAs from the INDIA bloc have joined the BJP ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
- Both leaders previously won their seats under RJD and Congress tickets.
- This shift may strengthen the BJP's grassroots support.
- Political analysts had predicted such movements due to dissatisfaction within the opposition bloc.
- Former MP Ajay Nishad also rejoined the BJP recently.
Patna, Oct 13 (NationPress) In a significant political maneuver as the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed two rebel members from the INDIA bloc on Monday. These leaders, who previously secured victories in the last elections representing the RJD and Congress, have now joined the BJP.
The BJP's Bihar president, Dilip Jaiswal, officially accepted Sangita Kumari, who had resigned from her Mohania Assembly seat in Kaimur district, along with Siddharth Saurav, a two-term Congress MLA from the Bikram Assembly seat in Patna district.
Both individuals received their primary BJP membership during a ceremony held at the party's state headquarters in Patna.
Sangita Kumari previously contested and won the 2020 Assembly elections as an RJD candidate, while Siddharth Saurav was a representative of the Congress party.
Before their transition to the BJP, both leaders resigned from their respective seats last week.
During the February 2024 floor test for the Nitish Kumar-led government, both showed signs of dissent within the opposition bloc, aligning themselves with the ruling NDA despite having been elected on opposition tickets.
Their departure, along with the backing of other dissenters such as Chetan Anand (Sheohar), Neelam Devi (Mokama), and Prahalad Yadav (Suryagarha), was pivotal in enabling Nitish Kumar to successfully navigate the confidence vote in the Assembly.
Political analysts anticipated that these rebel MLAs would not be nominated again by their respective parties in the forthcoming elections, making their shift to the BJP and JDU a probable strategy.
Upon their induction, BJP officials heralded their arrival as a strengthening force for the party at the grassroots level ahead of the elections.
Additionally, on October 10, former Muzaffarpur MP Ajay Nishad rejoined the BJP, alongside his wife, Rama Nishad, and they were also welcomed back by Dilip Jaiswal.
Ajay Nishad, from a notable political lineage, had previously represented Muzaffarpur in the Lok Sabha in both 2014 and 2019 under the BJP banner, but switched to Congress following the denial of a BJP ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.