Nitish Kumar suffers setback as party MLA joins RJD

Suspended Janata Dal (United) legislator Sarfaraz Alam today resigned from the party and the Bihar assembly to join the RJD, giving a clear indication of contesting the by-polls from Araria Lok Sabha seat.

Meanwhile, JD-U spokesperson Ajay Alok said that Alam’s resignation was not at all a setback for the party. The development is being seen as a major setback for chief minister Nitish Kumar who is trying to expand party’s political base in Bihar, especially among minorities and mahadalits.

Sarfaraz is likely to be the RJD candidate in the bypoll for Araria Lok Sabha seat, which fell vacant after the death of RJD MP and his father Mohammad Taslimuddin, who had won by more than two lakh votes. Mr Taslimuddin had won the seat by a margin of more than two lakh votes, while the BJP and the JD (U) – which had fought separately – finished nearly neck and neck, occupying the second and the third positions, respectively, in the 2014 general elections.

Alam was suspended from JD (U) in January 2016 for allegedly abusing a couple in a drunken condition while travelling in Rajdhani Express train.

The RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who is serving jail sentence in Ranchi, on Friday said that his party would field candidates on all the three seats. But things have changed now. “There was tremendous pressure on me from the people of Araria to join my late father’s party and work for them”.

Sarfaraz Alam after joining the RJD. No longer does the chief minister enjoy an upperhand like he used to in the past. “NDA had predicted the downfall of RJD, but things are unfolding the other way round”. “I contested elections from JD (U) ticket in 2015 because it was part of the Grand Secular Alliance, but after Nitish Kumar joined hands with the BJP people felt betrayed”, Mr Alam said. “JD (U) will have no stand in Bihar in such a scenario”, Tejashwi said.

Courtesy: The Insider Car News