- Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj Party leaders joined BJP ahead of Bihar's Bankipur bypoll
- BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha to face Prashant Kishor in the July 30 Bankipur bypoll
- Leaders like KC Sinha, Ritesh Ranjan, and Gopal Singh switched from Jan Suraj to BJP
Amid poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor's taunts to the BJP over the change of party's candidate for the Bankipur bypoll, his outfit, the Jan Suraj Party, has suffered a setback ahead of the key Bihar bypoll.
A number of Jan Suraj Party leaders on Wednesday switched to the BJP on the eve of a crucial bypoll in Bihar.
Prashant Kishor is set to face BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha in the July 30 Bankipur bypoll, which is a traditional stronghold. The bypoll has been necessitated after BJP national president Nitin Nabin vacated the seat after being nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the party.
Kishor had taken potshots at the BJP after the party replaced its candidate a day after he filed his nomination. "They (BJP) used to say that even if they put a dog or a cat as candidate from Bankipur, they will win. Today their candidate has run away from there," Kishor had said.
Little he knew that the tide was turning in his own backyard.
Kishor's comrades who joined the BJP on Wednesday included renowned mathematician KC Sinha, Ritesh Ranjan alias Bittu Singh, Gopal Singh and Jan Suraaj's Kisan Morcha district president Braj Kishore Sinha.
Many who switched sides had contested the Bihar Assembly elections on Jan Suraj's ticket.
Jan Suraj Party leaders joined the BJP on Wednesday
Bittu Singh was Jan Suraaj candidate from Digha Assembly seat. His wife, Vineeta, who also joined the BJP, had previously contested the Mayor election.
KC Sinha had fought Kumhrar Assembly seat as Jan Suraj candidate while Gopal Singh was party's candidate from Maner Assembly seat.
The new entrants were inducted by BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi.
"Inspired by the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, there has been a rush among politicians of opposition parties across the country to join the saffron party. People from all over the country want to join it," Saraogi said at the induction event.
Elaborating on his reasons to join the BJP, KC Sinha said that "national interest" is supreme in the current global scenario.
"In the current situation, national interest is paramount. Amid the clouds of war hovering across the world, the hands of the central government need to be strengthened so that India's voice can resonate globally. India had once led the world as a Vishwaguru and must regain that position, especially through excellence in education," he said.
Apoligising for joining the Jan Suraj Party, Ritesh Ranjan Singh said that he made the move in the "heat of the moment" and said he would remain with the BJP forever.
"I just want to say that one should never act in the heat of the moment. Whatever I did, I apologise for that. 'Jeena yahan, marna yahan, iske siwa jana kahan'," he said, quoting a popular Hindi film song.
Gopal Singh described his induction into the BJP a "homecoming", pointing out that he had worked for the party in the 1990s. "When I contested on a Jan Suraaj ticket from Maner last year, I realised there was no vision there, only hollow talk. Above all, an arrogant person can never run an organisation. That is why we have returned to our home," he said.
