Ahead of polls, shifting loyalties come to fore

In Bihar's volatile political landscape, party-hoppers are no longer seen as outcasts but assets. With the assembly election campaign in full swing, the atmosphere is charged with defections, alliances of conveniences, and a clear shift towards electoral winnability over ideological commitment.

- Sanjeev K Jha

Earlier this week, former MP and four-time MLA Sarfaraz Alam formally joined the Jan Suraaj Party in the presence of its founder, Prashant Kishor. Alam, son of former Union minister Mohammad Taslimuddin, has won the Jokihat assembly seat four times—twice on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket in 1996 and 2000, and twice on the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) ticket in 2010 and 2015. This latest political shift highlights a broader trend in Bihar's political landscape, where ideology often takesa back seat to pragmatic alliances,

Strategic defections

The upcoming assembly elections have witnessed a trend in the allotment of tickets to political turncoats. A total of nine candidates who secured victories in the previous state elections under different party banners are now contesting under new affiliations. Following the collapse of the Grand Alliance-led government last year, seven MLAs from the RJD and the Congress have switched allegiance to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). All but one of these defectors have been rewarded with party tickets for the forthcoming polis.

‘Among these defectors is Sangeeta Kumari, who left the RJD to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and secured the Mohania ticket. Another former RJD member, Bharat Bind, is now contesting from Bhabhua on a BJP ticket. The JD(U) has adopted a similar approach, awarding tickets to four former RJD MLAs who switched allegiances after poll announcement. These include Kedarnath Singh from Baniyapur, Chhote Lal Rai from Parsa, Vibha Devi from Nawada, and Chetan Anand from Nabinagar.