Ranjan Yadav leaves NJP to join JD(U)
In an apparent blow to Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP, its national vice-president and Parliamentary board chief Ranjan Prasad Yadav joined the ruling JD(U).
In an apparent blow to Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP, its national vice-president and Parliamentary board chief Ranjan Prasad Yadav joined the ruling JD(U) on Sunday along with hundreds of supporters.
Miffed over Paswan's intention to form electoral ties with Lalu Prasad's RJD, Yadav joined the ruling party in presence of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, party's national president Sharad Yadav, state president Rajiv Ranjan, spokesman Shivanand Tiwari and several other party functionaries.
Ranjan, also chief patron of the organisation Bihar Yadav Jagran Manch, announced the merger of the entire state-unit with the JD(U) and claimed that thousands of supporters who assembled at the place also joined the party.
Welcoming Ranjan into their party fold, the chief minister said the party received a shot in arm with the former Rajya Sabha member and his supporters joining the party.
The office-bearers and activists of the Jagran Manch, set up by him to highlight among members of Yadav community the alleged mischief and misdeed during the 15-year rule of RJD government, also joined the JD(U) along with the Bihar political heavyweight.
Ranjan, considered a favourite of Paswan till recently, had earlier hinted at quitting LJP, expressing dissent over the latter's bid to revive ties with RJD, the party the former had deserted long back following differences with the party president and railway minister Lalu Prasad.
With an eye to pit himself as parallel to RJD strongman Lalu Prasad, Ranjan is likely to be fielded from Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency to take on NDA's biggest rival--RJD.
Political analysts believe that Ranjan, the two-term Rajya Sabha member on RJD ticket, would be of effective use during the NDA's election campaign.
According to the analysts, switching over to JD(U) is Ranjan's best bet at present as otherwise he would have been left with little option but to make amends with his friend-turned-foe Lalu.
Appreciating Ranjan Yadav, also a retired Professor of the Patna University, Kumar said Yadav had now chosen the 'right path' after the bitter experience he had with Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan.
Turning to Prasad and Paswan, Kumar said though the two leaders turned enemies while bargaining for 'powers and posts', they would form 'an opportunistic alliance at an oppotune point of time (during elections) for furthering their political interests.
Addressing the function, JD(U) National president Sharad Yadav charged Prasad and Paswan with ensuring "the rule of their dynasties.
"It is unfortunate for democracy. We disapprove of it", he said claiming that the JD(U) was "a party where inner democracy prevailed and free from all these dynasty problems.""
Senior leader Sharad Yadav praised the style of functioning of Kumar and said under the latter's 'dynamic leadership' people would be benifitted a lot and days were not not so far that Bihar would be among the developed states.
Miffed over Paswan's intention to form electoral ties with Lalu Prasad's RJD, Yadav joined the ruling party in presence of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, party's national president Sharad Yadav, state president Rajiv Ranjan, spokesman Shivanand Tiwari and several other party functionaries.
Ranjan, also chief patron of the organisation Bihar Yadav Jagran Manch, announced the merger of the entire state-unit with the JD(U) and claimed that thousands of supporters who assembled at the place also joined the party.
Welcoming Ranjan into their party fold, the chief minister said the party received a shot in arm with the former Rajya Sabha member and his supporters joining the party.
The office-bearers and activists of the Jagran Manch, set up by him to highlight among members of Yadav community the alleged mischief and misdeed during the 15-year rule of RJD government, also joined the JD(U) along with the Bihar political heavyweight.
Ranjan, considered a favourite of Paswan till recently, had earlier hinted at quitting LJP, expressing dissent over the latter's bid to revive ties with RJD, the party the former had deserted long back following differences with the party president and railway minister Lalu Prasad.
With an eye to pit himself as parallel to RJD strongman Lalu Prasad, Ranjan is likely to be fielded from Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency to take on NDA's biggest rival--RJD.
Political analysts believe that Ranjan, the two-term Rajya Sabha member on RJD ticket, would be of effective use during the NDA's election campaign.
According to the analysts, switching over to JD(U) is Ranjan's best bet at present as otherwise he would have been left with little option but to make amends with his friend-turned-foe Lalu.
Appreciating Ranjan Yadav, also a retired Professor of the Patna University, Kumar said Yadav had now chosen the 'right path' after the bitter experience he had with Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan.
Turning to Prasad and Paswan, Kumar said though the two leaders turned enemies while bargaining for 'powers and posts', they would form 'an opportunistic alliance at an oppotune point of time (during elections) for furthering their political interests.
Addressing the function, JD(U) National president Sharad Yadav charged Prasad and Paswan with ensuring "the rule of their dynasties.
"It is unfortunate for democracy. We disapprove of it", he said claiming that the JD(U) was "a party where inner democracy prevailed and free from all these dynasty problems.""
Senior leader Sharad Yadav praised the style of functioning of Kumar and said under the latter's 'dynamic leadership' people would be benifitted a lot and days were not not so far that Bihar would be among the developed states.