Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party suffered a huge setback on Wednesday, just a day before the first phase of polling in Bihar, as one of its candidate switched sides and joined the BJP.
Sanjay Singh, who had been fielded in Munger by Kishor, took BJP membership in the presence of saffron party’s candidate Kumar Pranay.
Munger will now see a one-on-one contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan.
Why he switched sides
Though the exact reason for Singh's sudden switchover remains unclear, he told media persons that the Jan Suraaj party cannot provide firm and robust leadership, which is required for bringing a “real change” in Bihar.
He also hailed the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
"Considering the current political situation and circumstances, I am extending my support to ensure NDA's victory. I will work to help them win, and I am confident they will win by a large margin of votes," he said.
War of words likely
Singh’s move is likely to spark a war of words between Jan Suraaj and the BJP as the former had accused the latter of arm-twisting and pressurising its candidates to withdraw from the fray.
In October, the Jan Suraaj candidates from Danapur, Brahmapur, and Gopalganj had backtracked from the race. The party had alleged BJP’s role in the withdrawal of these candidates and said the saffron party is frightened of the new outfit’s mass connect with the public.