Former Bihar Minister Shyam Rajak Joins RJD After Being Expelled from JDU

Former JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak, who has been sacked from the Bihar cabinet, returned to his old party RJD headed by Lalu Prasad on Monday.

Rajak joined Rashtriya Janata Dal here in the presence of top party leaders, including Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and state president Jagadanand Singh, at Rabri Devis 10 Circular road residence.

He met Rabri Devi after joining the party.

Rajak was removed from the cabinet and was also expelled from the JD(U) on Sunday for six years for his anti-party activities.

Sources said the decision came in the backdrop of speculations that he may resign from the ministership and join RJD as he was miffed with the party headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

He was apprehensive that the JD(U) may deny him nomination in the state polls due later this year, sources said.

A prominent dalit leader Rajak, who had served as a minister in the RJD government in the past, had left the party in 2009 to join the JD(U).

"I never compromised with the principles of social justice and secularism which we learnt from our leader Lalu Prasad," Rajak told reporters after joining the party.

He slammed JD(U) for the manner in which he was expelled bypassing all constitutional provisions and norms of the party.

"It is quite ridiculous to know that I was expelled from the party within 10 minutes yesterday night. I am member of national council and was also proposer of Nitish Kumar during his election as the party chief.

"They expelled me without following the provisions of the partys Constitution. What will happen to such a party?" he asked.

Welcoming him to RJD, Tejashwi Yadav said, "It is his home coming. We are happy. He believes in principles of social justice and secularism".

Taking a swipe at the state government Yadav said, "There is no one to listen to peoples representatives in the so called double engine state government. Bureaucracy is ruling the roost. Crime graph and unemployment are increasing in the state.

Various parties have reacted to the development taking place place months before the assembly polls.

LJP chief and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan, who has been vocal against the JD(U) in the recent past, termed Rajaks exit from NDA as "unfortunate".

Paswan retweeted the partys one line statement that "Shyam Rajak Jee ka NDA se jana Durbhagyapurna hai (exit of Shyam Rajak from NDA is unfortunate)".

Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha president Jitan Ram Manjhi said, "Rajak remained minister for five years and now he has joined the RJD. If he is of the opinion that Nitish Kumar is anti-scheduled caste, then he should have resigned much earlier.

"Why he has taken the decision at the time of polls. There has been precedents when people resigned when they had difference of opinion.

Ruling NDA hit out at Rajak.

"He is going to the man who has been convicted under section 420. He had intentions to attack JD(U)s policies by remaining in company of people belonging to 420. Thats why party took a decisions and expelled him, Information and Public Relations Minister and JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar said apparently taking a dig at the RJD supremo.

Bihar BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said that it was an internal matter of the respective parties.

"His activities raised questions. So the CM recommended his sacking from the cabinet. He is free to go anywhere," Anand said.