The Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) suffered a jolt on Tuesday when its lone Muslim MLA Izhar Ahmad joined the ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Mr. Ahmed had made an important decision at a vital moment ahead of the Assembly polls and likened the present state of the Rashtriya Janata Dal-LJP alliance to a “haunted house” whose “inhabitants had long ceased to reside in it.”
Mr. Ahmed, representing the Ghanshyampur constituency in Darbhanga, decided to break up with Mr. Paswan after his seat, post de-limitation, was given to RJD's Mahabir Prasad whom he had beaten in the 2005 Assembly elections.
Mr. Ahmed said he was upset with the party as Mr. Paswan had backtracked on his promise of installing a Muslim Chief Minister in the last elections.
Only on Monday, RJD chief Lalu Prasad's brother-in-law and former MP Subhash Yadav quit the RJD on Monday. He was upset with Mr. Prasad's “autocratic style of functioning.” Mr. Yadav lauded the progress brought about by the Nitish government.
Even the ruling JD(U) faced rebellion. The former JD(U) State president, Rajiv Ranjan “Lallan” Singh, had announced his intention to join the Congress. Despite consistently speaking out against Mr. Kumar, Mr. Singh's efforts to ally with the Congress had not materialised so far.
