Patna: Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party’s (RLSP) Bihar president Bhudeo Chaudhury joined Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav inducted Chaudhury in the party here.
Chaudhary had contested 2019 Lok Sabha elections against Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan.
Chaudhary joined RJD days after former union minister Kushwaha said his party will remain in a grand alliance only if there is a change in the leadership of RJD.
The Election Commission announced that Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases — October 28, November 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on November 10.
In the 2015 Assembly polls, JDU, RJD and Congress had fought the elections together under the Mahagathbandhan banner. On the other hand, the BJP-led NDA had fought the elections with the LJP and other allies.
The RJD with 80 seats had emerged as the single largest party in the elections, followed by JDU (71), and BJP (53). However, BJP got the largest vote share (24.42 per cent), followed by RJD with 18.35 per cent and JDU (16.83 per cent).
After the polls, however, a rift emerged between JDU and the RJD in 2017, leading to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapping ties and rejoining ties with the BJP-led NDA to retain power in Bihar.