RJD leader, former BJP MP to join Congress

PATNA - The Congress received a boost ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls on Friday with Party President Sonia Gandhi approving the proposal of senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and sitting MLA Anil Kumar and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sukhdeo Paswan to join it.

“Sonia ji has approved the application of the two senior leaders seeking to join the Congress,” The Hindu quoted Bihar Congress Chief Spokesperson Premchandra Mishra as saying.

Mishra added that the two leaders would join Congress party in a day or two.

Kumar was Rajya Sabha member for the RJD for 12 years prior to his election to the State Assembly from Bhore seat in Gopalganj, which he represented thrice, while Paswan was BJP Lok Sabha member from Araria for four times in a row.

The BJP had, however, denied him a ticket from the seat in 1999.

For nearly two decades, the Congress has been playing the second fiddle in Bihar politics. But for the 2010 assembly election, the party has decided to go all out and contest all the 243 seats. (ANI)