Yet another setback for Nitish as 15 JDU Panchayat members join BJP in Daman & Diu

New Delhi, Sep 13: In yet another setback for Janata Dal-United (JDU), 15 panchayat members of Nitish Kumar's party in Daman and Diu have joined the BJP on Monday.

"15 out of 17 district panchayat members of JDU of Daman and Diu and the entire unit of state JDU joined the BJP today against Nitish Kumar's decision to leave the BJP which had given impetus to development in Bihar and to choose the 'Bahubali', corrupt and a dynastic party," the BJP tweeted.

BJP leader Vijaya Rahatkar said, "JDU's existence has been removed completely from here as their state unit fully merges with BJP. JDU's politics of betrayal & decision to join hands with 'bahubali' did not sit well with people here."

Earlier in Manipur, five JD(U) MLAs quit the party and joined the BJP. The party had won six of the 38 constituencies it had contested in the assembly elections held in March this year.

The JD(U) MLAs who joined the BJP are Kh Joykishan, N Sanate, Md Achab Uddin, former DGP L M Khaute and Thangjam Arunkumar.

Before that lone JDU MLA from Arunachal Pradesh had also joined the saffron party.

The development of JD(U) leaders quitting the party comes after Nitish Kumar ended alliance with NDA and joined hands with 'Mahagathbandhan'.