Major blow to JD(U) ahead of assembly polls: Nitish loyalist Dr. Sanjeev Kumar joins RJD

Janata Dal (U) leader and Parbatta MLA from the Khagaria district Dr. Sanjeev Kumar joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Friday at a public meeting organised to mark the occasion.

Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav was expected to be present to formally welcome Dr. Sanjeev into the party but as bad weather prevented him from attending the event he addressed the gathering through video conferencing and inducted the MLA to the party.

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Welcoming him to the RJD, Yadav said his joining would make the party stronger and help them push their ideals of social justice and secularism. He said that the RJD aims to bring everyone together, especially those who feel left behind, to build a Bihar where everyone feels valued and respected.

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar is a well-known upper-caste face in Khagaria’s political landscape. He is considered a leader of the Bhumihar community. His father, late RN Singh, was elected MLA from Parbatta five times and served as a minister in the Nitish Kumar government. He was also considered one of the loyalists of the chief minister. Speculation about Kumar switching sides had been going on since the JD(U) supremo broke ties with the RJD and returned to the BJP.

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar’s discontent had come to light when he went missing just before the floor test. He came to the Assembly after persuasion from Nitish Kumar. His decision to join the RJD is considered a major blow to the NDA ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections as it is likely to impact the NDA’s core upper-caste vote bank across the Khagaria district.

However, JD(U) National Spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said Dr Sanjeev Kumar’s decision to join the RJD was not unexpected for the party. The party leadership had long felt that Sanjeev Kumar had become largely disconnected from party activities. He also alleged that Sanjeev Kumar was one of the main conspirators in the failed plot to topple the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar. The entire matter is being investigated by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), and Sanjeev Kumar himself was aware that the party might take action against him.

Sanjeev Kumar has denied any involvement, claiming the allegations of horse-trading were completely false.