Bihar minister resigns, may join LJP or BJP

Bihar's Industry and Disaster Management Minister Renu Kumari Kushwaha Monday night resigned from the Nitish Kumar cabinet and is set to contest the Lok Sabha polls either on an LJP or a BJP ticket.

Leader of the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leaders close to her said she would either contest the elections from the Khagaria seat as Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) nominee or as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representative from the Madhepura seat.

Despite repeated attempts, there was no confirmation from Kushwaha as her mobile was switched off.

Another JD-U leader close to her said" "She has resigned from the Nitish Kumar cabinet."

Kushwaha, in her early 50s, is the second woman minister to quit the cabinet within a month.

Last month, Bihar's first Muslim woman minister, Perween Amanullah, quit the cabinet and the JD-U. She later joined the Aam Aadmi Party and is actively campaigning for it.

Kushwaha's husband, Vijay Kumar Singh, joined the BJP Monday afternoon in the presence of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during his visit to address a rally in Purnea district.

Last month, an alliance was finalised between the BJP and the LJP in Bihar with the former giving seven seats to the latter. The BJP has also given three seats to the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party.