Two Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislators from Nawada and Rajauli constituencies were present on the dais during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Magadh University in Gaya on Friday, setting off speculation about possible defections ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar. Both, however, played down their appearance.
Vibha Devi, MLA from Nawada, and Prakash Veer, the Rajauli legislator, were seen seated in the back row on the stage. The appearance comes amid reports of discord within the party ranks and discussions around potential crossover to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Vibha Devi’s husband, Raj Ballabh Yadav, a former MLA, recently came out of jail following his acquittal by the Patna High Court in a POCSO case, and has considerable influence in Nawada district. Sources said that he was reportedly dissatisfied after the RJD denied a Lok Sabha ticket to a family member last year. Subsequently, his brother, Binod Yadav, left the RJD and contested the Nawada seat as an independent candidate.
Meanwhile, Prakash Veer, in his second consecutive term from the reserved seat in Rajauli, has had differences with party leadership, sources said.
However, talking to The Indian Express, both MLAs denied any plans to defect from the RJD or join the BJP. “Baseless rumours are being floated. The event was for launch of projects worth ₹13,000 crore meant for Bihar. It was the Prime Minister’s programme, not an NDA meeting. The PM is a leader for everyone. All MPs and MLAs from the region were present in the event, and I had received an invitation too, that’s why I had attended it. I am still with the same party with whom I have always stood. All these speculations are wrong,” said Prakash Veer.
Vibha Devi echoed similar sentiments: “It was a government function, and I went because an invitation was received for the Prime Minister’s programme. There is nothing else to it.”
Responding to questions by reporters on the possibility of defection of its MLAs, RJD state president Mangani Lal Mandal on Friday played down the matter. “We had 78 members elected from our party. Four already left, tempted by various lures. Now two more have gone, it makes no difference to us. One left because her husband has been acquitted, a result of the government’s manoeuvres and inability to gather evidence. They managed the situation among themselves. Those who have gone are of no consequence. We gave them tickets, they won on our party’s ticket. The seat remains ours, the voters are ours, and our candidate will win there. Whoever has left, it does not affect our party or our well-being… No action will be taken… those who have gone will not receive the ticket,” Mandal said.
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RJD sources claimed that the party has not released any formal expulsion order or sought further action against the MLAs as of now.
