Patna (Bihar) [India], August 22 : Former Thakurganj MLA Gopal Agarwal officially joined the Janata Dal (United) party on Friday, expressing his happiness at returning to his "old house" after a decade-long hiatus.
Agarwal, who has been associated with the JD(U) in the past, reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the party in Bihar.
"I am very happy to be back in my old house. I have been cut off from the party for 10 years, but I have worked as a soldier for the party in every parliamentary election. I have always been blessed by the Prime Minister, the President, Lallan Bhaiya, and all. I will do my best to strengthen the party in Bihar," Agarwal said. He further pledged to work alongside Naushad Alam and Prahlad Kumar Sarkar to secure all 24 assembly seats in the Seemanchal region, aiming to help JD(U) form the government again in 2025 under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Welcoming Agarwal into the party, Bihar JD(U) President Umesh Singh Kushwaha congratulated him on his decision to rejoin at a crucial time ahead of elections. "Today, Gopal Agrawal, who has joined the Janata Dal (United), has returned home at a time when we are in the middle of an election. I would like to tell him that he has made the right decision at the right time. He will have a huge responsibility to fulfil this decision," Kushwaha said, extending his best wishes to Agarwal.
Meanwhile, in a significant political development in Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled to be held later this year, former Union Minister Ram Chandra Prasad Singh has merged his political outfit, Aap Sabki Awaz (ASA), with the Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor.
Singh left JD(U) in 2023 to join Bharatiya Janata Party and in 2024 announced the formation of his own Party, 'Aap Sabki Awaz', announcing his contention for the 2025 Bihar election.
The Bihar Assembly elections are expected to be held in October and November this year, wherein the NDA, which consists of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will be once again looking forward to returning to power. In contrast, the INDIA Bloc will be giving competition to the incumbent Nitish Kumar government.