Jaiswal framed the move as the beginning of a broader defection wave, stating that “nearly half a dozen MLAs” from the opposition are poised to switch sides. He also referred to this induction as the “first instalment” of that process.
Sangita Kumari had earlier vacated her Mohania seat, while Saurav submitted his resignation on the day of induction, as recorded by the assembly secretariat. The two had been sitting alongside members of the NDA within the assembly after JD rejoined the alliance headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2024.
In addition to Kumari and Saurav, BJP welcomed Sunil Kumar Pintu, a former MP who joined JD in 2019, and Sujit Kumar, formerly with the Indian Revenue Service and spouse of Gaura Bauram MLA Swarna Singh. Swarna Singh, elected on a Vikassheel Insaan Party ticket, had earlier shifted to BJP.
Faithful performance in by-polls or defections is crucial in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections on 6 and 11 November 2025. With all 243 constituencies at stake, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is in an intensified fight against the INDIA bloc, whose core partners are RJD, Congress and allied left parties.
The BJP’s next move will likely centre on persuading other discontented MLAs in the INDIA bloc to cross over. Jaiswal’s comments suggest that additional defections may be imminent in coming days. Within the Mahagathbandhan camp, leaders have expressed concerns over cohesion, given fractures in loyalty among key legislators.
In Bihar’s volatile political landscape, defections ahead of elections have precedent. After JD broke with the opposition alliance and realigned with the BJP-led front in January 2024, several MLAs from RJD and Congress had already aligned with the new ruling coalition—though formal resignations and disqualifications remain pending before the Speaker.
Among the high-stakes implications of the most recent switch is the message it sends to undecided legislators and voters: that the BJP’s pull is extending within traditional INDIA bloc strongholds. Kumari’s Mohania seat in Kaimur district is considered a strategic constituency, especially for SC-reserved contests, while Bikram, in Patna district, carries urban voter weight.
Despite the crossings, the INDIA bloc leadership is not publicly conceding ideological ground. They argue that defections before elections are opportunistic and urge their cadres to intensify grassroots mobilisation. Yet, behind closed doors, concerns are mounting about internal dissent and effectiveness of candidate selection in ground-level contests.
Saurav’s political trajectory is notable: after winning Bikram on a Congress ticket in both 2015 and 2020, he had earlier shown signs of drift by physically aligning with ruling side in the assembly sessions. His formal switch now completes that shift. Kumari’s shift underscores a return to BJP fold: she had earlier defected in 2024 but maintained her RJD identity in the assembly.