Patna: With the assembly elections
approaching in Bihar poaching of leaders and legislators of
rival camps seem to be the name of the game for bettering
electoral prospects.
The ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) seems to have
taken the lead in offering a red-carpet welcome to trusted
aides of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.
The party recently inducted five RJD legislators Beema
Bharti, Srikant Nirala, Rajesh Singh, Raj Kishore Yadav and
Ram Lakhan Mahto.
A close aide of Prasad and former Minister Shyam Rajak
joined the JD(U) earlier.
Senior RJD leaders such as Mohammed Taslimuddin, Shyam
Rajak, Ramai Ram, Nihora Singh Yadav, Bhim Singh and Mangnilal
Mandal have gone over to the ruling party.
"People leave for greener pastures. What is wrong in
that?" state JD(U) chief Vijay Choudhary asked.
On the other hand, former MP Prabhunath Singh had gone
over from the JD(U) to the RJD.
Besides Prabhunath Singh, several senior JD(U)
leaders, including former vice-chairman in the legislative
council Vijendra Choudhary and two sitting MLAs Kedarnath
Singh and Ramprevesh Rai joined the RJD recently.
Kumar, though appeared unperturbed. "Wait for some
time ... they have taken our rejected material ... we will
soon have some of their trusted lieutenants before the
elections."
But the influx from Lalu`s party has caused resentment
in a section of the JD(U).
Some leaders cautioned that the JD(U) leadership
should not neglect it workers following the induction of `rank
outsiders` before the lections.
"Now the party is eyeing inducting former union
minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh, who is peeved at his position
after being ignored by the RJD chief in the course of the
seat-sharing deal with LJP recently in New Delhi," a JD(U)
insider said pleading anonymity.
The Congress is also not far behind in the poaching
game. It is also trying to bring Akhilesh Prasad Singh into
its fold.
It has also apparently succeeded in convincing JD(U)
rebel Rajiv Ranjan Singh `Lalan` to join.
Some former RJD MPs, including Anil Yadav and Rampreet
Paswan had yesterday joined the Congress.
PTI
