Muzaffarpur: In a significant political move, former BJP MP Ajay Nishad, expressing discontent over being denied a ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, has switched allegiance to the Congress party. Nishad, accompanied by senior Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Mohan Prakash, and state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh, formally joined the Congress in New Delhi.
Mohan Prakash emphasized that Nishad’s decision to join the Congress was unconditional. Upon joining the party, Nishad asserted, “Today I have embraced Congress membership. Should the high command issue an order, I am prepared to present myself before the court of the people.” This move comes after Nishad publicly resigned from all positions and primary membership of the BJP, expressing disappointment over what he termed as betrayal by BJP President J P Nadda.
Ajay Nishad, who previously secured victories in the Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha constituency under the BJP banner in both the 2014 and 2019 elections, was replaced by Rajbhushan Nishad in the latest list of BJP candidates. Notably, Nishad’s father, former Union Minister Captain Jai Narayan Nishad, also held the Muzaffarpur seat on four occasions.
The BJP’s decision to drop Ajay Nishad from the ticket came after unfavourable feedback about him, leading to protests by his supporters during Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai’s recent visit to Muzaffarpur. While efforts were made to pacify the grievances of other ousted MPs like Ashwani Choubey, Chhedi Paswan reportedly remains dissatisfied with the BJP leadership.
In a twist, the BJP-led NDA has nominated Raj Bhushan Nishad, a former Lok Sabha candidate under the VIP banner, for the Muzaffarpur seat. This decision follows an internal survey conducted by the BJP, resulting in Ajay Nishad’s ticket denial in favour of Raj Bhushan Nishad.
