As the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) announced to contest Bihar assembly election against the BJP ally JD(U), several senior leaders of the saffron party are lining up to join the Chirag Paswan-led outfit seeking poll ticket.
A number of senior BJP leaders, including two sitting MLAs, joined the LJP on Wednesday. They are likely to contest election on the LJP symbol from Dinara, Sasaram, Jhajha, and Motihari constituencies. All these seats have gone to the JD(U) under seat-sharing arrangment with the BJP.
Among those who joined the LJP include former MLA Usha Vidyarthi who is likely to be fielded from the Paliganj assembly seat where the JD(U) will contest as well.
Vidyarthi is a senior BJP leader who was the member of Bihar State Women Commision. She quit the commission as well as the BJP before joining the LJP.
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Speaking to FPJ, Vidyarthi said she would file nomination papers from Paliganj constitutency on Thursday. She was earlier a BJP MLA from Paliganj.
This comes a day after another senior BJP leader from the state, Rajendra Singh joined Paswan's party. Singh is a vereran BJP leader and was associated with the RSS for a long time.
According to sources BJP president JP Nadda spoke to Rameshwar Chaurasia and persusades him not to leave the party. He was likely to be fielded by the LJP from Nokha seat.
Announcing his exit from the NDA in Bihar, president Chirag Paswan has come out strongly against JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar but claimed that he was not against the BJP.
The BJP, on the other hand, has asserted that it will contest the elections under the leadership of Nitish Kumar and he will be the chief minister even if the saffron party wins more seat.
As per the seat-sharing formula for Bihar assembly polls, the JD(U) will contest on 122 seats and BJP 121 out of a total of 243 seats.
The three-phase Bihar polls will start on October 28. The counting of votes will be held on November 10.
