In a big loss to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Muzaffarpur MP in Bihar, Ajay Nishad, on Tuesday resigned from all the posts and the primary membership of the party and is likely to join the Congress.
In a post on X addressed to BJP chief JP Nadda, Nishad said that he was “shocked by the betrayal of BJP”.
“Respected JP Nadda ji, shocked by the betrayal of BJP, I resign from all posts and primary membership of the party,” Nishad wrote on X.
The development comes after Nishad was denied a BJP ticket for the Muzaffarpur constituency, from where he is a two-time MP. According to media reports, sources close to Ajay Nishad said that the BJP’s decision to field Raj Bhushan Chaudhary for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections without consulting him was a key factor in his decision to switch parties. Nishad is likely to join the Congress.
Also Read: ‘Some things are better left unsaid’: Baba Siddique quits Congress after 48 years
In Bihar, the BJP has announced its candidates for various constituencies, including Union ministers RK Singh from Arrah, Nityanand Rai from Ujiarpur, and Giriraj Singh from Begusarai. Former Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Radha Mohan Singh, and Ram Kripal Yadav are also among the candidates.
Bihar will go to polls for 40 Lok Sabha seats across all seven phases. In Phase 1, voting will be held on four seats. The state will witness polling on 5 seats each from Phase 2 to Phase 5. In Phases 6 and 7, elections will be held on 8 seats each.
Also Read: Hours after quitting Congress, Milind Deora joins Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA, comprising BJP, JDU, and LJP, won 39 out of 40 seats in Bihar, while the Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD, INC, and RLSP, managed to secure only one seat.