Two-Time Former MLA From Nitish Kumar's Party Maheshwar Singh Joins RJD

Maheshwar Singh accepted the party's primary membership in the presence of Tejashwi Yadav, claiming he walked out of the NDA despite "a lot of pressure".

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) claimed to have received a shot in the arm today with the induction of Maheshwar Singh, a two-term former MLA from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), into the party. Maheshwar Singh accepted the party's primary membership in the presence of Tejashwi Yadav - the Leader of Opposition in Bihar - and claimed he walked out of the NDA despite "a lot of pressure" and added that his supporters in Bihar's East Champaran district are going to follow suit. Welcoming Mr Singh into the RJD, Tejashwi Yadav recalled his old association with the former who was the Lok Janshakti Party's leader in the state assembly a decade ago when the party founded by Ram Vilas Paswan had an alliance with Lalu Prasad's outfit. Mr Yadav claimed "many more" leaders from the JD(U) and the BJP are in touch with him but avoided questions on Manjit Singh, another former MLA from the chief minister's party, who met the RJD leader recently, fuelling speculations of crossing over but backed down reportedly after receiving a call from Nitish Kumar.