Patna: In what can be construed as a setback for RJD but a big scoring point for the BJP, two MLAs from Lalu Prasad-led party were found sharing the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his rally in Bodh Gaya on Friday. The act of Vibha Devi and Prakash Veer caught the RJD off-guard and sparked a ‘defection’ buzz in the state politics just before Bihar goes to the hustings.
Their presence on PM Modi’s dais, alongside Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other NDA leaders, has fuelled speculation that both are preparing to switch sides ahead of the polls. Vibha Devi, wife of former RJD MLA Rajballabh Yadav, has been in the news since her husband’s recent acquittal by the Patna High Court in a POCSO case.
What Vibha Devi and Prakash Veer’s possible BJP switchover means
It is believed that her appearance on Modi’s stage has all but sealed her switch. For RJD, losing her means not just a legislator but an entire voter base in Nawada slipping away.
Speculation about her joining the BJP had been growing, and her appearance on the stage is now being seen as confirmation of her possible defection. Prakash Veer, meanwhile, has reportedly been disgruntled with the RJD leadership.
Reacting to the development, RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari downplayed the significance of the incident, saying that during elections, leaders generally shift sides, and Friday’s incident is not a big concern for his party.
“Those facing corruption or criminal charges become ‘clean’ once they join the BJP. Vibha Devi’s husband was booked under rape with a minor girl and now acquitted, and suddenly everything is whitewashed,” he said.
Mritunjay Tiwari added that Pakash Veer has been indulging in anti-party activities, and if he wants to part ways with the RJD, no one will stop him.BJP, however, distanced itself from the controversy, saying that it was a Prime Minister’s event, not a party function, and anyone can attend the function.
“Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the country, and Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister of Bihar. They represent the nation and the state. The presence of the two RJD MLAs should not be politicised,” said BJP Spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh.
During Nitish Kumar’s floor test earlier in February last year, four RJD MLAs – Prahlad Yadav, Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi, and Sangeeta Kumari – had switched sides, with Sangeeta later heading towards the BJP.RJD, which had won 75 seats in 2020, has been reduced to 73 MLAs following some defections. The MLAs had switched to the NDA, while Belaganj and Ramgarh were lost in the by-elections
For Lalu and Tejashwi, the timing couldn’t be worse. RJD, which began this assembly with 79 MLAs, is now down to 73. If Vibha Devi and Prakash Veer formally walk away, the tally will shrink further to 71—a serious dent for a party that claimed the pole position just four years ago.
Meanwhile, BJP has not only blunted Lalu’s attack but turned the narrative in its favour. The message from Modi’s Gaya rally is loud and clear: defections are breaking RJD’s back, and NDA is expanding its house, brick by brick, before Bihar votes again.
