Over 50 VIP leaders join BJP

Patna, April 8 (IANS) Over 50 leaders of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) on Friday joined the BJP's Bihar unit.

The VIP leaders, headed by Raj Bhushan Chaudhary, joined the BJP in presence of Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, MoS home Nityanand Rai, deputy chief minister Renu Devi and BJP Bihar president Sanjay Jaiswal.

Jaiswal claimed that 90 per cent of the grassroots workers of the VIP are expected to join saffron party in the next 10 days.

"These leaders have worked very hard in the making of the VIP. Due to wrong policies of VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, the leaders left the party and joined the BJP. Raj Bhushan Chaudhary had contested the assembly election from VIP in 2020 and he was the national treasurer of the party as well. His role in the making of the Vikassheel Insan Party was immense," Jaiswal said.

The way top leaders of the BJP are whole-heartedly welcoming the VIP leaders into the BJP fold, it seems that the BJP wants to wipe out Mukesh Sahani from the politics of Bihar, sources claimed.

The VIP had fought the 2020 assembly elections as an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The BJP had given 11 seats from its own quota to VIP but the latter managed to win only four seats.

Despite Sahani losing the election, he was given the post of MLC from the BJP quota and also given cabinet minister rank. Sahani was sacked on March 28 after his three MLAs defected to the saffron party.

The relations between BJP and VIP turned sour after Sahani decided to contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on its own and campaigned against the saffron party. Sahani even made derogatory remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.