RJD leader Anil Sahani, once convicted by CBI court, joins BJP

Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Anil Sahani, who was disqualified from the Bihar Assembly three years ago following his conviction in a fraud case, joined the BJP in Patna on Wednesday.

Sahani, a prominent RJD face from Muzaffarpur and supposedly one of its star campaigners for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, was inducted into the BJP in the presence of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP’s election in-charge for Bihar, and national general-secretary Vinod Tawde. Party leaders described his inclusion as part of the BJP’s continuing efforts to consolidate Extremely Backward Class (EBC) support ahead of next month's Assembly polls.

A CBI court in Delhi had in 2020 found Sahani guilty of submitting forged air tickets in 2012, during his tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP, to claim leave travel concession (LTC) benefits. He was sentenced to three years in prison, which led to his automatic disqualification under the Representation of the People Act.

In the 2020 assembly election, Sahani had narrowly defeated the BJP’s Kedar Gupta from Kurhani by fewer than 900 votes. After his disqualification, Gupta reclaimed the seat in a by-poll and was later inducted into Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet.

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Analysts view Sahani’s induction as a calculated move by the BJP to strengthen its hold among the Nishad community, an EBC group with significant electoral influence across north Bihar. The party has in recent years intensified efforts to broaden its caste base beyond its traditional upper-caste core.

Yet critics have underlined the irony of the BJP, which champions an anti-corruption plank nationally, repeatedly welcoming leaders facing criminal or graft charges. In recent years, several politicians who were under investigation have found political rehabilitation in the party’s ranks.

In West Bengal, former Trinamool Congress heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, once under the CBI and ED scanner in the Saradha chit-fund probe, joined the BJP in 2020 and became Leader of the opposition. Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, previously accused in similar cases while in the Congress, went on to become chief minister. Maharashtra’s Ajit Pawar, long linked to irrigation-scam allegations, found accommodation in the BJP-led coalition government and is currently deputy chief minister, no less.

Reflecting on the pattern, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had remarked on 24 March 2024, soon after Naveen Jindal joined the BJP: “The washing machine is working overtime again.” His quip — now shorthand for the BJP’s ability to ‘cleanse’ tainted leaders once they cross over — remains a fitting commentary on the trend.

With PTI inputs