Ranchi/New Delhi (IANS) The Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Jharkhand unit President Annapurna Devi on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and is likely to be fielded in the Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Annapurna Devi, a four-time legislator, joined the BJP in New Delhi in presence of its national General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav and Chief Minister Raghubar Das. Former RJD legislator Janardan Paswan also joined the party.
Ahead of her joining the BJP, the RJD had removed her from her post and appointed Gautam Sagar Rana as its state chief.
Annapurna Devi, whose entry into the BJP was being speculated throughout last week, had nearly confirmed the development when she met Das and Yadav at the Chief Minister’s residence in Ranchi on Sunday evening.
The BJP, which is fighting 13 of the state’s 14 seats, has announced the name of ten candidates but put on hold the names of the remaining three. There are chances that Annapurna Devi could be fielded from the Koderma or Chatra seat.