JD-U MLA Bima Bharti resigned from the primary membership of the party.

Patna, March 23, 2024: In a major setback for Janata Dal (United) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, party legislator Bima Bharti resigned from the JD-U’s primary membership and formally joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Saturday.

Bima Bharti, the MLA from Rupauli (Purnea district), had long been miffed with the JD-U leadership after her political rival Leshi Singh was inducted as a cabinet minister. Her absence during the no-confidence motion against then Speaker Awadh Buhari Choudhary on February 12, 2024, had already signaled her growing distance from the ruling alliance.

In a resignation letter dated March 22, 2024, addressed to JD-U’s national president, Bharti wrote: “I am resigning from the primary membership of the party. Please accept it.”

Possible Lok Sabha role of JD-U after exit of Bima Bharti:

Bima Bharti is expected to receive an RJD ticket from Purnea in the upcoming general election. This development could complicate matters for Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who merged his Jan Adhikar Party with Congress in hopes of contesting from Purnea. With Bharti’s entry, RJD appears to have tilted the equation in Seemanchal politics.

Her Political base:

Elected from Rupauli on a JD-U ticket in 2020, Bharti is considered a strong leader in the Seemanchal belt. Belonging to the Extremely Backward Caste (EBC), she wields considerable influence among marginalized communities in Purnea district.

Other resignations:

Bhatri’s move is not isolated. Two more JD-U leaders—Dr. Faraz Fatmi, former MLA from Keoti (Darbhanga), and Ram Niwas Prasad, former MLA from Jale (Madhubani), have also resigned from the party. Dr. Fatmi’s father, senior leader Mohammad Ali Ashraf Fatmi, quit JD-U on March 19, 2024, and is eyeing an RJD ticket from Darbhanga Lok Sabha constituency.

Significance:

Bharti’s defection marks a serious jolt to JD-U in Seemanchal, where caste equations and minority votes play a decisive role. For RJD, her induction strengthens its organizational base in Purnea and could shift the balance in favor of the opposition’s Mahagathbandhan.

Also Read: JDU candidate Abhishek Jha filed the nomination for the Tirhut MLC seat on 1st day.

EOM.