Former Jehanabad MP Arun Kumar, who had been responsible for JD(U) losing the seat in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Saturday returned to CM Nitish Kumar-led party after 16 years.
Arun Kumar fought as an Independent candidate from Jehanabad in 2024 polls which saw sitting JD(U) MP Chandeshwar Prasad Chandravanshi losing to RJD’s Surendra Prasad Yadav.
Between 1999 and 2004, Arun Kumar had represented JD(U) in LS and quit the party before 2009 general elections after he was denied a ticket. In the 2014 LS polls, he won on Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) ticket.
Arun Kumar’s joining, along with his son Rituraj Kumar, comes a day after former Jehanabad MP Jagdish Sharma’s son and former Ghosi MLA Rahul Sharma crossed over to RJD from JD(U), signalling either he or his son could contest against RJD’s probable nominee from Ghosi seat (Jehanabad) Rahul Sharma. Both Sharma and Kumar belong to the upper caste Bhumihar community.
At the induction event, JD(U)’s national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha said, “Arun Kumar’s return would strengthen the NDA.” Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh who was also present said, “Arun Kumar has played a key role in state politics since Samata party days. He along with Chandravanshi would bring a political storm for JD(U)’s opponents in Magadh region.”
Kumar said, “We have to ensure that RJD’s misrule is not repeated in Bihar.”
JD(U) has looked at consolidating the upper caste Bhumihar votes in Magadh belt, especially with RJD also reaching out to the community in its bid to expand its votebase beyond core Muslim-Yadav constituency.
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An important player from the Magadh region for three decades, Arun Kumar was among the triumvirate around whom Jehanabad politics revolved — the others being Jagdish Sharma (Jehanabad MP from JD(U) between 2009 and 2014), and RJD’s Surendra Prasad Yadav. JD(U) had successfully experimented with EBC Chandeshwar Orasad Chandravanshi in 2019 Lok Sabha though.
Arun Kumar, who was reportedly slated to enter the JD(U) camp over a month ago, had been apparently facing resistance from Lalan Singh, but the move is said to have been greenlit by CM Nitish Kumar.
