Patna: Former minister and former Lok Sabha MP Arjun Rai joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday after resigning from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), in a political development that comes amid preparations for the Bankipur by-election.
BJP Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi formally inducted Rai into the party at a ceremony at the BJP state office in Patna. Bihar minister Nitish Mishra and several other senior leaders were present.
Rai’s induction comes after his unsuccessful attempts to return to Parliament from Sitamarhi on an RJD ticket in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Rai Cites Sitamarhi Development
After joining the BJP, Rai said the development projects he had envisioned for Sitamarhi during his tenure as an MP had remained incomplete.
He said he believed the projects could be accelerated through coordination between the Centre and Bihar governments under the NDA, which he described as a “double-engine” government.
Rai said he would work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
He said serving the aspirations of the people had remained the central objective of his political career and that he would use his new political platform to work for the development of Sitamarhi and neighbouring areas.
Rai’s Political Journey
Rai began his political career in student politics and was active in Bihar University politics in 1994.
In 2000, he contested the Aurai Assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district on an RJD ticket.
He left the RJD in 2005 and joined the Janata Dal (United). The same year, he won the Aurai Assembly seat and was later appointed Minister of Information and Public Relations in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government.
From JD(U) To RJD
Rai was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sitamarhi on a JD(U) ticket in the 2009 general election. He lost the seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
In 2015, Rai joined the RJD alongside Sharad Yadav, who had broken away from the JD(U).
He subsequently contested the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an RJD candidate but failed to win either contest.
His move to the BJP marks another shift in his political career and comes as parties prepare for further electoral activity in Bihar.
