Jolt to Bihar Congress, four MLCs join JD-U

Patna: On Wednesday, major political developments took place in Bihar. Hours after Jitan Ram Manjhi announced his decision to quit the NDA and join Grand Secular Alliance, four Congress MLCs decided to join the JD(U).

The decision was announced late Wednesday evening by senior Congress leader and former state president Ashok Chaudhary.

“There is no allegation of corruption against Nitish Kumar, which makes him a chief minister with a clean image. Another important reason is the attitude of senior central Congress leaders like C.P. Joshi, who keep humiliating state leaders like us,” Former Congress state chief Ashok Chaudhary said in a press conference on Wednesday.  

In September 2017, Ashok Chaudhary was sacked from the post of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president. Sources say that the action was initiated against Ashok Chaudhary and others for trying to split the state unit.

The Congress has been facing internal conflict ever since Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Secular Alliance in Bihar and formed a government with the BJP.

“Ashok Chaudhary quitting the Congress may cause a massive dent in party’s image in Bihar,” insiders said. A faction in the state unit also believes that the Congress, which was in the moribund state, managed to win 27 seats in the 2015 Assembly elections due to Ashok Chaudhary effort.