RJD leader Pratima Kushwaha joins BJP ahead of Bihar polls

Ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, RJD leader Pratima Kushwaha, who had earlier served as the chief of its state women's wing, joined the BJP on Saturday, claiming that "grassroots leaders are not respected" in the opposition party.

BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal welcomed her to the saffron party.

Talking to reporters in Patna, Jaiswal said, "The environment of nepotism and dynastic politics is so prevalent within the RJD and the Congress that their leaders are feeling disenchanted. This is the reason why several of their leaders are joining the BJP."

He claimed that the NDA will form a government in Bihar with a two-thirds majority this time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Kushwaha said, "The RJD is no longer the party it used to be under the leadership of Lalu Prasad Yadav."

She alleged that "grassroots leaders are not respected" under the party, which, along with the family heading it, "stands deeply fragmented".

Kushwaha claimed, "RJD's Tejashwi Yadav had said he gave jobs to the youth of Bihar when he was deputy chief minister. The RJD had indeed given jobs to people under its rule, but by taking away their land."

She was apparently referring to the alleged land-for-job scam under the RJD rule.

Rejecting Tejashwi's claim of increasing the reservation limit for backward classes, she quipped, "He has only given reservations to his family. The real reservation has been provided by the NDA government for women and backward classes."