Overview

• Renu Kushwaha has held three MLA terms, one MP term, and two Bihar ministerial roles, representing BJP, JDU, and LJP at different points.
• Tejashwi Yadav welcomed her entry as a boost to RJD’s social justice and secularism drive and criticized the BJP-RSS for sidelining OBCs and Dalits.
• The switch is aimed at broadening RJD’s appeal beyond the Muslim-Yadav base to court the Kushwaha community ahead of elections.
• Kushwaha’s defection marks a notable setback for the NDA and threatens Nitish Kumar’s grip on the key Luv-Kush voter bloc.
• RJD state president Mangani Lal Mandal said new members will energize Lalu Prasad Yadav’s vision and underpin a development-focused government.