LJP to suffer big jolt in Bihar soon as party leaders likely to join ruling JD-U on Thursday

PATNA: If speculations were to be believed, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will suffer a major jolt in Bihar as nearly five dozen leaders are expected to join the ruling JD-U, along with their supporters, on February 18.

The rebellion against Chirag Paswan started getting louder in the LJP after the party's poor performance in the Bihar Assembly elections 2020.

Many district heads of Chirag Paswan's party are among those who are speculated to revolt and leave the LJP.

If former spokesperson and leader of the LJP, Keshav Singh, is to be believed, over 60 leaders will join the JDU on February 18 to strengthen Nitish Kumar's camp. Singh had turned rebellious after he was expelled from LJP.

Keshav Singh told media persons that a decision to join JD-U by dozens of leaders and their supporters was taken recently at a meeting of rebel LJP leaders.

He further added that the LJP rebels will attend a meeting of JD-U on February 18 and join the JD-U to strengthen Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's hand. He said that he would be among others taking the membership of JD-U.

A veteran political analyst of Bihar, Arun Kumar Pandey, said that rebel LJP leaders joining JD-U, led by Keshav Singh, can create political hype in the short run but won't have a long term damaging impact on LJP.

"It is almost sure that those joining JD-U will not get any berths. But JD-U, by welcoming the LJP rebels in their party, can put a demoralising pressure on Chirag Paswan for taking a stand against LJP’s in Bihar polls," Pandey said.

LJP leader Awadhesh Singh said that Keshav Singh and others can not make any impact on LJP as he along with many others were expelled.